2 Stage Airship/Shuttle 2 Orbit

[bobvanx]

The final, orbital vehicle is... <br /><br />Well, I don't have a word for it. The test vehicle is over a mile long. They want to use ion drives and dynamic lift to get from a horizontal velocity of zero up to 18,000mph. Even if the craft starts at 200,000 feet like the pdf file with the pretty pictures and no math says, there's enough atmosphere to induce significant heating. Columbia, after several minutes of deceleration and heating from 330,000 feet, broke up at 200,000 feet. These guys want to run that equation the other direction? Get from 200,000 to 330,000 and orbital speeds, without destroying their balloon? I'm filled with incredulity.<br /><br />Until they can show how the meager impulse of ion drives can push something so big fast enough that it overcomes the final dregs of atmospheric friction and flies/floats into orbit, without burning up, don't send them money for that part of their plan.

 

[bobvanx]

>>you may find then interesting<br /><br />I absolutely do! The Dark Skies Station is especially intriguing, for the following reason: It's a training ground for a real space station as well as colonies on the Moon and Mars.<br /><br />At 140,000 feet, they are effectively in a vacuum, at least for all the sorts of things we encounter in everyday life: breathing, holding our insides in, boiling water to make noodles, working the baggage and check-in counter at the airlines, walking the dog... So, to learn how to live and work in that environment would have direct application to a Mars Colony (where the pressure is equivalent to a mere 100,000 feet!). The temperature is bitter cold, all sorts of closed-loop systems would need to be invented, supply chains and back-up systems refined... these guys will have a real leg-up when we get serious about a Mars colony. <br /><br />And the view! I bet a Dark Skies sort of place would make a better hotel than an orbital asset. People think they want to be weightless, but they don't really. They'll spend a week at a Bigelow space motel, and decide they really do like using a gravity fed toilet.

 

[craigmac]

<font color="yellow">And the view! I bet a Dark Skies sort of place would make a better hotel than an orbital asset. People think they want to be weightless, but they don't really. They'll spend a week at a Bigelow space motel, and decide they really do like using a gravity fed toilet. <br /></font><br /><br />There is a good article in the january issue of wired magazine....

 

[kmarinas86]

Why not just have a spinning bathroom as part of a zerogravity spacestation? <img src="/images/icons/tongue.gif" />

 

[jpowell]

We're (JP Aerospace) making a run to over 100,000 feet at the end of February. The system will have still and video cameras on booms to get some good shots of the curve of the Earth with the vehicle in the foreground. They will be the 'out the window of the hotel' shots. <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /><br /><br />We've added a 'log' section on the website for updates.<br /><br />www.jpaerospace.com<br /><br />JP

 

[tap_sa]

Could you give us details how the orbital ship is supposed to reach orbit? Your pdf says:<br /><br /><i>The initial test vehicle is 6,000 feet (over a mile) long. The<br />airship uses buoyancy to climb to 200,000 feet. From there it uses electric propulsion to slowly accelerate. As it<br />accelerate it dynamically climbs. Over several days it reaches orbital velocity.</i><br /><br />How many kW does the electric propulsion use, and how is the electricity generated? What is the thrust of engines and T/W of the whole ship? What is the ship's flight profile, how is it going to gain more altitude from 200k ft? How is it going to overcome the drag?

 

[bobvanx]

>>spinning bathroom<br /><br />"I came in here for one reason, I didn't think I was going to be sick, too!"

 

[marcel_leonard]

Are you part of JP's design team? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> "A mind is a terrible thing to waste..." </div>

 

[jpowell]

for 26 years now.

 

[grooble]

The JP balloon is the most interesting thing i have ever seen. If it works it will be the best thing ever. I bet you could tug up spaceship components and create a ship in orbit using small thrusters and auto docking systems, so the orbital ship connects itself together like lego peices, it could be a earth - moon ferry. <br />

 

[marcel_leonard]

Are you guys hiring? Because I have pretty interesting skill set, and I'am willing to travel.... <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> "A mind is a terrible thing to waste..." </div>

 

[bobvanx]

Yes, please let marcel_leonard submit a resumé for your review.

 

[marcel_leonard]

What do you do for a living bobvanx? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> "A mind is a terrible thing to waste..." </div>

 

[bobvanx]

I'm a freelance Art Director. I help entrepreneurs and small businesses stay powerfully connected to their customers and prospects, with incrementally developed brand identity elements.<br /><br />One thing I really like is watching how networks of people "grow" and get more business done. I love supporting people in making more money. Not so much for money's sake, but because people are happier when they are living out their dreams and using their skills to their best potential.

 

[jpowell]

We are a volunteer organization with a small paid staff.<br />Send your resume to: <br />info@jpaerospace.com

 

[jpowell]

We just put up a new video page at the JP Aerospace web site.<br /><br />www.jpaerospace.com<br />We will be putting up new videos each week.<br /><br />We're not very big on giving out details of how we're going to accomplish our goals, (we keep getting burned on IP issues). However, we are very big on showing our progress along the way. You can judge for yourself <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /><br /><br />John Powell<br />www.jpaerospace.com

 

[marcel_leonard]

I read in Popular Mecahnics that a company was building a lighter than air ship covered in solar panels in order to provide more lift into LEO. You know of any such project? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> "A mind is a terrible thing to waste..." </div>