Abstract: The technology described here relates to LTA vehicle launch configuration and in-flight optimization. A method for automated ballast dropping by an LTA vehicle in flight may include receiving, by an in-flight ballast model, an initial lift gas fill amount and an initial ballast amount, generating altitude ranges based on a remaining lift gas amount and a current system mass of the LTA vehicle to determine whether the remaining lift gas amount is within a ballast drop lift gas range, determining whether a convergence criterion for the remaining lift gas amount is met, the convergence criterion indicating a convergence between a remaining lift gas estimate and a remaining lift gas model, determining that dropping a ballast increment will not decrease an overall ballast amount below a target ballast amount corresponding to the remaining lift gas amount, and causing the LTA vehicle to drop the ballast increment.

Abstract: The technology described here relates to LTA vehicle launch configuration and in-flight optimization. A method for optimizing for an objective of an LTA vehicle launch may include receiving a desired objective, receiving known parameters of the LTA vehicle, including a pressure threshold, performing probabilistic calculations based on the desired objective and the known parameters, the probabilistic calculations configured to model setup parameters and to output probabilities for the setup parameters, the output indicating probabilities that a simulated vehicles would achieve the desired objective. The method also includes selecting a setup parameter value based on a high probability indicated in the output. Also described is an LTA vehicle launch configuration system implementing a thermal model, a physics model, and a fill and ballast tool, including an altitude range estimator, a gas-air estimator, and a pre-flight ballast model.