Sputnik - Airships are mostly used either for military purposes, such as reconnaissance, or for civilian ones, such as tourist attractions, tours or as advertisement platforms. They are also occasionally used as transportation in some countries.

The Iranian Space Research Centre on 30 December presented a design project for an airship that is planned to be developed by Iran within the next 10 years, the Islamic Republic News Agency reported.

A short animation video showed the concept of the four-engine airship, which will be powered by solar panels installed on it. It's unclear so far at what speed the vessel is expected to fly. The airship will fly semi-automatically, with landings and take-offs done manually by the crew, whereas the rest of the flight will be carried by the autopilot using digital maps.

The project currently only exists as a concept and it's unknown for what purpose the aircraft will be used.

Airships are currently used by the US, French and British militaries for reconnaissance purposes. Civilian versions are also used by several countries as tourist attractions and for sightseeing tours. They are also used in Japan for advertising.