So I've been trolling around this site for a while and have some questions.
"Why is there no serious interest in putting this question to rest?"
Why the endless debate? I mean if suckers voters are willing to shell out billions in an obvious puppet show of historic proportions, can't some smart advertising people trolling around here get a campaign going to fund this?
"What are you serious people afraid of"
Being wrong? I personally lean towards a flat earth, but not because I want to. (I have my own motives.) I'm a trekkie and this would seriously put a wrinkle in my hopes and dreams. But I think this controversy under-girds most everything else that people contend with and chiefly that of religion. I'll leave the religion alone....for now.
So what if it's wrong? I look at evidence and in the three years I've been aware of this as a serious question I've traveled deeply through the questions that are held against authoritative institutions. I just had my last doubt moved into the category of 'inconclusive.' Everything else is already there. The only catch is that in order to see things from either POV, I need to adjust what is possible and suspend the 'why' and 'how.'
"Why is it not possible to answer this?"
I dug through here and found several ideas that would solve this question so we can move on. One idea was an expedition using a hot air balloon. LAUGHABLE. Wouldn't it just follow the prevailing winds and the goal of finding and possibly crossing a barrier be improbable? How about this: in 1937 a zeppelin visited the north pole with several teams of researchers. I checked the docs and flight path and the true north pole was not visited. Points for the attempt, but obviously a dog and pony show. If that tech can be used then why not now. The cost of these things comparatively low against tech needed to get there->find the wall->get over it-> travel for any appreciable distance->return with proof. Except for one change. A FLEET of them. five or more. Because as it is said in the Army, "two is one, and one is none" and "more is better." Launch from all axis or from one continent but in line-ahead. Cameras on everything. Live. With Jeraldo. NO GO's, contractors, or institutions, individuals contracted and selected from a larger pool trained for that task only. Like a civilian NASA.
"Who would believe anything that is done?"
I wouldn't. Unless it is crowd funded and human crewed. NO drones!!!. So here's an angle, but I'm not too sharp on the economics. These things are being developed buy the aerospace industry anyway. They were a contender for a heavy lift system for the military. Get there firstest with the mostest and setup a cargo line specifically for these routes. The maiden voyage would be this expedition, then taken over for commercial use. Build one in every country sort of like 2012.
"What would happen either way?"
ha-ha! That's the scary part of this. Getting it done is not like landing on the moon or anything. But, really then what? Not much would change. Every controversy would have to be crowd debunked. If Peter Theil and the seasteading movement were smart, they would do this first and kick the struts out from under the rickety system that runs this world.
Oh, wait, yeah... they don't really want to do that either.
So who's got skills? Who's not afraid to fall off the edge of the world? I bet it could be done within 24 months. If hydrogen(no, I've never heard of the LZ129) were used then the bags, frames, controls, engines, and avionics would need to be procured/manufactured. Look up natural gas and see if that's a viable fuel and available in Antarctica.