May 29, 17 / Can 09, 01 19:01 UTC

Building our own rockets/spacecraft  

So, one of the main concerns facing Asgardia is actually getting people and cargo into orbit. We can't rely solely on other private spaceflight companies, as that would be too expensive. So, my feeling is that we're going to have to build and launch our own spacecraft.

Luckily, Blue Origin are already manufacturing an engine that will suit our needs perfectly: the BE-4.

https://www.blueorigin.com/be4

Although Blue Origin's main client is the United Launch Alliance, they have said that engine will be commercially available to other companies:

http://www.thespacereview.com/article/2605/1

Most rocket engines use kerosene as fuel, but the BE-4 uses methane instead, making it similar to SpaceX's Raptor engines. This is good because we can easily make methane ourselves via the Sabatier process (CO2+H2 = CH4+H2O). We just buy an island out in the middle of a large body of water (providing us with a plentiful supply of hydrogen and oxygen) and build Sabatier, electrolysis and CO2 scrubbing machines on it. This will not only benefit us, but it could help combat climate change as well.

Plus, we could also earn ourselves a little extra capital by launching payloads into orbit for other clients.

Thoughts?

Jun 9, 17 / Can 20, 01 15:28 UTC

I think space plains are the way to go