[AR] Re: 500,000 tons

  • From: Keith Henson <hkeithhenson@xxxxxxxxx>
  • To: arocket@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Tue, 8 Apr 2014 00:16:18 -0700

On Mon, Apr 7, 2014 at 11:21 PM, Monroe L. King Jr.
<monroe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> Keith
>  Biggest point! Why are you posting this to Arocket?

Because this thing is just full of sticky technical problems I either
have solution for or need to find them.

> We really are not the audience you need.

You are more technically together than most of the places I have
posted about this project.

> You need MAJOR funding

The _project_ needs funding far, far beyond what anyone would trust me
with.  I don't need the funding.

> and Arocket is a lousy
> place to look for funding. It's a great place to get help when you need it

Some of you have been fairly helpful, much thanks.

> but it sucks for that kind of funding don't you think?

Hmm.  Have I asked for funding?  Have I even implied I was looking for
funding?  If so, sorry, funding this puppy is wildly beyond my pay
grade.

>  I suggest write a book!

I probably have enough for a book, but it would probably be better to
put it together as a wiki.  It's in flux.

>  Skylon is sketchy at best and the first time they fly or even test an
> engine this would be more appropriate.

That would be too late.  Looking at first delivery in 2021.  If it
comes that fast, the design work on the laser propulsion station is
behind already schedule.

>  I'm sure your a great guy but why here?

Hey, it's clearly marked as off topic.  If you don't want to read
about it, just delete.

>  Same goes for space elevators and such I don't think it's the right
> crowd for that stuff do you?

Don't know, have not tried to talk about space elevators here.  Did
scope one out for the moon, it looks like it will lift its own mass in
100 days.

Keith

>> -------- Original Message --------
>> Subject: [AR] Re: 500,000 tons
>> From: Chris Jones <clj@xxxxxxxxx>
>> Date: Mon, April 07, 2014 10:46 pm
>> To: arocket@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>
>>
>> On 4/7/2014 11:11 PM, Keith Henson wrote:
>> > On Mon, Apr 7, 2014 at 3:33 PM, Lars Osborne <lars.osborne@xxxxxxxxx> 
>> > wrote:
>> >> Yeah, But are you really satisfied with 500,000 tons to orbit per year? We
>> >> will never be able to build a Dyson sphere at that rate, and bring us to a
>> >> type II civilization.
>> >
>> > I know you are pulling my leg, but as I mentioned, the lift rate needs
>> > to rise to 10 million tons per year.  Half a million is just a start.
>> [...]
>> >> How could laser skylons possibly launch once every second? It just isn't
>> >> enough.
>> >
>> > It's not impossible.  Every day 93,000 flights are starting from
>> > approx. 9,000 airports.
>> >
>> > 86,400 seconds in a day, so there is more than one take off per second.
>>
>> So, in addition to this unflown launcher, whose designers have failed
>> previously to deliver something simpler, you are requiring either a
>> doubling of our airport capacity or the cessation of aviation to allow
>> for the launches to support a technology which hasn't been demonstrated
>> in prototype form?
>>
>> Why isn't this a loony idea?
>

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