getting to orbit requires energy...

[spacefire]

Here's a nice source of heat for you: volcanoes!<br />Brownie points for whoever figures out how to launch a payload to LEO from a volcano. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>http://asteroid-invasion.blogspot.com</p><p>http://www.solvengineer.com/asteroid-invasion.html </p><p> </p> </div>

 

[barrykirk]

use the geothermal energy from the volcano to power the power laser for your climber for a space elevator.<br /><br />Simple huh?<br /><br />LOL

 

[spacefire]

no, actually I found the answer myself: Orion!<br />put that thing in a volcano before it errupts and you won't need nukes for the atmospheric part of the ascent! <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>http://asteroid-invasion.blogspot.com</p><p>http://www.solvengineer.com/asteroid-invasion.html </p><p> </p> </div>

 

[vogon13]

There is at least one poster here who takes Orion very seriously, and when he sees this, you will be severely rebuked.<br /><br />Xemu is the only one allowed to drop stuff in volcanos.<br /><br /><br /><img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /><br /><br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#ff0000"><strong>TPTB went to Dallas and all I got was Plucked !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#339966"><strong>So many people, so few recipes !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#0000ff"><strong>Let's clean up this stinkhole !!</strong></font> </p> </div>

 

[spacefire]

seriously now...just how much enertgy does a volcanic eruption release...probably enough to propel a starship at relativistic speeds. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>http://asteroid-invasion.blogspot.com</p><p>http://www.solvengineer.com/asteroid-invasion.html </p><p> </p> </div>

 

[mariecurie]

Please excuse my naiveté, but couldn't we use geothermal to run turbines that provide power for consumers, de-salination and a super-sonic space catapult for low-weight payloads in Hawaii?<br /><br />You could run the catapult for 2 hours a day. People might be able to live with that amount of noise if it meant more electricity and clean, fresh water. <br />And the chance they might one day make it into space.<br /><font color="black"><br />“If you take my hand, my son, all will be well when the day is done” Peter, Paul & Mary ~ Day is Done</font>

 

[jatslo]

<font face="verdana">Hey, hydrogen is the most abundant element in the known universe, and I imagine that volcanic eruptions like the one in my back yard (Mount St. Helens), would release large amounts of hydrogen products, right? That gets me thinking about a newly undiscovered matter from deep within the Earth’s mantel, not to unlike diamonds; diamonds won’t work for what I am thinking though. You see; I plan to utilize sublimates from fission or fusion nuclear reactions to project force on the inertia of my spacecraft. However, I am having trouble with thermal radiation, because the medium I am utilizing currently boils off, which is very bad on spacecrafts. Essentially, the rods meltdown, and destroy the craft, so what I need is a new medium, right?<br /><br />I am thinking that hydrogen, that was froze and pressurized during the birth of our solar system is locked within the Earth’s interior, and that this matter is ejected during volcanic eruptions. Now I don’t think we can walk around and pick the matter up like a diamond that is ejected, because I think the matter gets ejected into outer space. Let me tell you why: Hydrogen gas released from the Earth leaves Earth to float unperturbed into space. Liquid hydrogen simply converts to gas and then the gas floats away. However, metallic hydrogen is bonded similarly like a diamond, but unlike a diamond, metallic hydrogen is super light material.<br /><br />Metallic hydrogen material is super light (floats into space); it is also super conductive; it is the super medium that I need to power my sublimate spacecraft. Now your thinking what? Charged particles passed through the medium at speeds greater than the speed of light within the medium (liquid mediums). Matter traveled faster than the speed of light and as a result, the reaction was a release of sublimate energy; pure and unadulterated pure energy that will give me the power to travel to the stars and through time.<br /><blockquote><font class="small">In repl</font></blockquote></font>

 

[spacefire]

well, I'd think that any hydrogen released in an eruption would quickly burn into hydrocarbures or water... <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>http://asteroid-invasion.blogspot.com</p><p>http://www.solvengineer.com/asteroid-invasion.html </p><p> </p> </div>

 

[spacefire]

I think that's doable for underwater volcanoes, because a temperature gradient on a conductor releases electicity, and it's been done with the normal gradient of ocean water, so if you had a region of extremely hot water at the bottom it would be accomplished with the temp gradient in reverse. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>http://asteroid-invasion.blogspot.com</p><p>http://www.solvengineer.com/asteroid-invasion.html </p><p> </p> </div>

 

[jatslo]

Maybe. Metallic Hydrogen is supposed to withstand those temperatures.