【Pihit】

When you're a cofounder of one of the world's most valuable companies,Pihit your passion projects tend to take on a more massive scale than, say, simply tuning up an old hot rod in the garage.

Take Google's Sergey Brin. Word leaked last month that he has a team working on a secret project in the Google-controlled Hangar 2 at the NASA Ames Research Center: a massive airship, or dirigible, which serves as a spiritual successor to one of the hangar's previous tenants, the USS Macon. Sources close to the project claimed that the metal frame of the craft, which looks like a zeppelin, was complete and taking up most of the space inside the hangar.

More sources "with knowledge of the project" have come forward, claiming to have new insider info about Brin's airship. The leakers spilled their secrets to The Guardian,giving us a better understanding about Brin's mission and exactly what he wants to do with his own personal sky yacht, which is ... go on lavish family vacations that double as humanitarian aid missions.

SEE ALSO: That massive plane that looks like a butt successfully flies now, so that's good news

The sources claim Brin wants to use the craft both as a "luxurious intercontinental air yacht" for friends and family — anda vessel for humanitarian trips to deliver supplies and food to remote areas. The airship could wind up costing Brin $100 million to $150 million of his own money, so he can do with it what he wants. But the image of a gigantic vanity project miraculously touching down in an impoverished area, no matter its intentions, seems more than a touch dissonant.

Mashable Light Speed Want more out-of-this world tech, space and science stories? Sign up for Mashable's weekly Light Speed newsletter. By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up!

The airship will reportedly stretch to nearly 200 meters (around 660 feet) in length and be "massive on a grand scale,” making it the biggest aircraft in the world right now, twice as long as the Airlander 10, aka the "Flying Bum." Brin's project won't quite measure up to the airships of old he's modeling it after, though. The USS Macon measured in at 239.3 meters (785 feet), and the largest, the Hindenburg class, was a massive 245.3 meters (803 feet).

Brin's airship was originally slated to be powered by hydrogen, according to the sources. But the gas still apparently has a bad rep as fuel for airships, what with the legacy of the Hindenburg still fresh in our cultural consciousness after 80 years.

Via Giphy

Brin's airship will instead depend on helium for lift and use a system of internal gas bladders to compensate when freight is removed during landings. Sources claim this will allow for off-loading almost anywhere in the world.

Neither Brin nor Google provided comment about any of the rumors about the airship, so until someone spots a massive zeppelin coasting through the California skies, we're likely going to be kept in the dark.

---

Featured Video For You

---

Airbus’ new flying car concept looks like it's straight out of ‘The Jetsons'

---

Topics Google

• Entertainment
• Science
• Shopping
• Social Good
• Digital Culture
• Deals
• Life
• Tech

• The Beatles biopic casts all the internet's boyfriends in one movie
• Apple Music Sing will bring karaoke to your Apple devices
• Wordle today: Here's the answer, hints for December 8
• People are mocking the #IceCreamChallenge with hilarious videos
• Best smartwatch deal: Save 44% on CMF Watch Pro for $38.90 at Amazon
• Portugal vs Switzerland livestream: How to watch World Cup Round of 16 live
• The oddbody Furby community turns '90s kids' toys into lovely nightmares
• Smaller, faster Tinder Lite app coming to Vietnam soon
• Best portable power station deal: Save 44% on the Jackery Explorer 100 v2
• Argentina vs Australia livestream: How to watch World Cup Round of 16 live

• Mothers as Makers of Death
• New SPILL app: What is it and who can join?
• Tips for helping your son navigate the manosphere
• Lofi jazz videos on TikTok are a massage for my brain
• Anni Albers’s Many
• Eau de Nil, the Light
• Best Dyson Airwrap deal: $100 off at Amazon
• Feminize Your Canon: Eleanor Dark by Emma Garman
• What are the idgaf wars?
• Redux: A Secret Mouth by The Paris Review

• Character AI reveals AvatarFX, a new AI video generator
• Ohio lawmaker tweets absolutely gorgeous PSA about teen vaping
• Donald Trump hit a new low with racist tweets and everyone noticed
• Lil Nas X accidentally blocks breakfast show camera, charmingly styles it out
• Herediano vs. Real Salt Lake 2025 livestream: Watch Concacaf Champions Cup for free
• Creepy wooden Melania Trump statue now overlooks her hometown
• Cosplayer Belle Delphine is now selling her own bathwater
• The Pixel 7 line just got a whole lot more secure with VPN by Google One
• Best Garmin deal: Save over $30 on Forerunner 55
• Nothing's next smartphone might launch in the U.S.

• 8 Years Later: Does the GeForce GTX 580 Still Have Game in 2018?
• Belle Delphine, who sold gamer girl bathwater, isn't promoting that gamer girl pee
• 'Quordle' today: See each 'Quordle' answer and hints for December 7
• OnePlus 11 revealed in new leaked images
• NYT Connections hints and answers for April 14: Tips to solve 'Connections' #673.
• Creepy wooden Melania Trump statue now overlooks her hometown
• Barbie's darkest secrets are revealed in this viral hashtag
• New York City blackouts always bring the wildest photos
• Galaxy S9+ vs Pixel 2 XL Camera
• The Pixel 7 line just got a whole lot more secure with VPN by Google One