jedidia
shoemaker without legs
Well, in the long run maybe. The recent testflight is quite impressive, though: an Airship to reach, and succesfully navigate, at an altitude of 95000 feet. Basically, the Idea is to stick an ion drive to one of those and then boost them into Orbit using the high ISP drive. Orbital insertion would take several days, but from that starting altitude, that wouldn't matter:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/11/02/space_airships/
Imagine an airship being able to carry a few hundred tons of payload, slowly making its way to orbital velocity. If they make it clever, maybe the bloody thing could even re-enter the same slow way!
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/11/02/space_airships/
Imagine an airship being able to carry a few hundred tons of payload, slowly making its way to orbital velocity. If they make it clever, maybe the bloody thing could even re-enter the same slow way!
