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Blimps... In... Space...
LandGator writes "MSNBC reports a California company with an alternate launch site in Texas, JP Aerospace, is on their third test of a blimp system specifically designed to fly to space. Blimps. To Space. At payload costs around a dollar a ton to LEO. Their concept, first unveiled at the Space Access '04 conference in Phoenix last month (with a blog report here, include the Ascender, a ground-to-near-space blimp, which docks to a helium-inflated two-mile-long station at the edge of space, over 20 miles up. Another ship, also a blimp but specifically designed to reach orbit, takes the payload from there to LEO, using well-proven electric propulsion (AKA 'ion drive'). That trip to LEO would take up to nine days, but that's a good thing; for, what goes up fast, must come down fast, and speed is energy which must be bled off by either massive amounts of expensive and explosive rocket fuel, or through ablative heat transfer which has its own problems (as we have seen before). JP Aerospace has flown many PongSats -- micropayloads the size of a ping-pong ball -- for balloon or rocket-launch. Over 1,500 PongSats have flown to date, which demonstrates a track record in near-space few of the X-Prize contenders can approach. Oh, yes, the Air Force is interested."
on their third test of a blimp system specifically designed to fly to space
"Now, the object of this expedition is to see if we can find any traces of last year's expedition."
I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate.
I would love to see huge balloon animals in the night sky..
It's like a Sagittarius, only friskier.
So the first word visiting aliens will see will be "Goodyear."
The coolest voice ever.
just carry a saftey pin with you on the way up, that'll get you down quicker... ;)
See, a Viking Funeral!
[insert mourning vikings]
See, Hitler on Ice!
[insert Hitler on, well, ice]
See, Jews... In... Space...!!
[just picture it]
Pong statistics for leo.space.com:
Balls: Sent = 2002, Received = 1001, Lost = 1001 (50% loss)
Striving to be common
Striving to be common...
Which is pretty close to an order of magnitude of orders of magnitude.
taken! (by Davidleeroth) Thanks Bingo Foo!
Okay let's say it costs $1/ton to put something in low earth orbit. It would actually cost more to get what you were launching to the launch facility than it would to launch it. A quick check with FedEx showed a rate of about $4500 to ship one ton about half way across the country.
This sig has been temporarily disconnected or is no longer in service
Or Law Enforcement Officer, but I dunno why you'd want to fly a blimp to the local police station.
LOAD "SIG",8,1
on an earlier blimp story, you look up at the giant blimp passing overhead. A voice from the sky intones, "Spawn More Overlords."
Some mornings it's hardly worth chewing through the restraints to get out of bed.
Wow. Here I was, ready to put a 1 ton satellite into orbit for $1. Instead, I find out it costs nearly $200. You've dashed my hopes of becoming a private space power. Damn you.
Hell, Frank Read did this in the 1800s.
Congratulations on working a Sluggy Freelance reference into your post!
I'm also bitter because I was too late to do it first.
Fear the rabbit!
I have something in common with Stephen Hawking...
What is the terminal velocity of a strand of ribbon?
African or European ribbon?
Losses due to mass? Back to Physics Jail with you!
Why yes, I AM a rocket scientist!
I came up with a similar result. Maybe we should just shut up and short the stock later on. :)