Application

Pipelines and methane

A long-endurance carrier for third-party methane sensors.

The problem

EU Methane Regulation 2024/1787 requires recurring leak detection and repair surveys. Rotor downwash disturbs the plumes that gas sensors need to measure.

How the airship helps

Near-zero downwash and slow flight give gas sensors undisturbed air along the right of way, for hours at a time.

Typical sensors

Open-path gas sensor
Thermal
RGB

Mission sketch

Corridor per flight: 100+ km
Downwash: near zero

Mission figures are design specifications.

Compared

Airship, drone, helicopter or satellite?

Each row shows the strongest option for that task. We also show where another platform is the better choice.

Where the airship wins for pipelines and methane

Undisturbed air for gas sensors
Slow, low survey of the right of way
Survey length per flight

Task	Aerostatix	Drone	Helicopter	Satellite
Undisturbed air for gas sensors	near-zero downwashBest	rotor downwash mixes the plume	strong downwash	no downwash, low sensitivity
Slow, low survey of the right of way	up to 43 km/h at 50 - 120 mBest	slow, but short range	fast and higher	fixed orbit
Survey length per flight	100+ kmBest	a few km per battery	100+ km, crewed	wide area per pass
Screening a whole national network	corridor by corridor	no	possible, costly	widest coverageBest

Aerostatix values are design specifications. Full comparison with sources

For asset owners

Start with a pilot project on one section of your network. We fly under our own authorisation and deliver the data.

Ask about a pilot project

For inspection companies

Add long corridors and hours on station to your service. Lease or buy the X-11, or subcontract flights to us.

Reserve interest