System and method for improved securing of an aerostat to a receiving structure

A kit, including:

• a tie-down cable having a first end and a second end opposite the first end, the tie-down cable being attached to an aerostat by the first end;
• a mast arranged rotatably mounted on a receiving structure, the mast comprising a winding drum winch, the winding drum winch comprising a slot configured to receive a portion of the tie-down cable located on a side of the second end of the tie-down cable;
• wherein:
• the tie-down cable comprises a weight at the second end thereof;
• and
• the mast further comprises a forked guide device having two branches extending in two divergent directions, and a pulley capture device having a movable pulley adapted to receive the tie-down cable.

A method for securing an aerostat to a receiving structure, implemented in a docking system comprising a tie-down cable having a first end and a second end opposite the first end, the tie-down cable being attached to the aerostat by the first end, a mast rotatably mounted on the receiving structure, the mast comprising a winding drum winch, the winding drum winch comprising a slot configured to receive a portion of the tie-down cable located on a side of the second end of the tie-down cable, the mast further comprising a forked guide device having two branches extending in two divergent directions, a trapping device including a fork pulley, and a pulley capture device having a movable pulley and a fixed pulley adapted to receive the tie-down cable, the method comprising the following steps:

• orienting the mast so that a bisector of an angle formed by the two branches and of the forked guide device is downwind, in an opposite direction to a wind flow;
• unwinding the tie-down cable from the aerostat in a controlled manner so as to release the tie-down cable and allow a weight disposed on a side of the second end of the tie-down cable to pull on the tie-down cable while limiting tensile forces on the tie-down cable;
• detecting that the tie-down cable cuts a detection axis of the trapping device before part of the tie-down cable touches the fork pulley;
• and
• once the tie-down cable is positioned in the slot of the winding drum winch, rotating the winding drum winch using a motor to wind the tie-down cable and bring the aerostat toward the mast.