Dec 27, 16 / Cap 26, 00 08:51 UTC

Re: Hot air balloon launch platform  

Use the hot air balloon to get as close to orbit as possible. When it stops going up. Detach and fire up the engines. Would be a cheep way to get our own comm network setup

Jan 3, 17 / Aqu 03, 01 11:55 UTC

Floating in atmos is just a long list of problems waiting to happen. Space is still a long list, but a slightly shorter one. Done any calculations as to how much hot air you'd need to lift a city? or how much energy it would take to heat that air? I suspect not....

For a re-usable launch platform, helium makes more sense than hot air. It's possible to move helium in/out of "baloons" in order to raise/lower height. Helium typically will rise until the baloon can no longer handle the pressure diffence between inside and outside and pop, hot air baloons holding a flight record of 21,290 m (69,850 ft) which isn't even ½ way to where you'd want to be for launch(upper atmosphere).

Jan 9, 17 / Aqu 09, 01 04:23 UTC

Would a vacuum dirigible be out of the question? -Ken

Jan 10, 17 / Aqu 10, 01 12:48 UTC

For taking helium out of atmos I would o thought the reinforcements on the inflatable cell would render it unsuitable for "dirigible" - as picking up people would have some serious surface area.

Unless you'd meant an inflatable "pod" for while you're already up there? I'm sure the bigalow BEAM module would work equally well not clipped to the ISS... if you don't mind not having power, coolant, thrust...

Jan 11, 17 / Aqu 11, 01 02:29 UTC

Sure, the OP specified satellites, but there's previous mention of "people". Still, for this case, it doesn't matter much people or cargo - same rules apply. And if you're worried about how long it takes to get somewhere, space probably isn't for you anyway. Besides, it's not like it'll take weeks to reach that height, or even days - the shepericarp jump only taking several hours to achieve height - and that seemed short enough for a man to tollerate.

Actually allowing the baloon to burst would instantly rob it of it's re-usable properties, and with a bursted cell, it'll have difficulty conforming to the definition of "dirigable".

As a "launch platform" then IMHO such tecnologies would be best as just that, a platform. Something the "actual launch system" sits on. Can carry it up for near (but with safe margin) bursting height, and then launch. Re-usable. Electrical fans can provide for additional thrust and vector control. If the HAV304/Airlander 10 can lift ten tonnes to about 6.5Km then knocking 5 tonnes off it's payload capacity should provide capacity for the extra reinforcements to get extra height - it's not unfeasible to match or beat 37Km(which is only about half way up), lifting five tonnes clear into the stratosphere... maybe even close to the stratopause. To assume chemical fuels, then a tonne of rocket, a tonne and half of fuel, and should leave about two n half tonnes for payload. As previously mentioned, this could be optimised further by orbital structures that can winch down something to land on, and then cover the next dozen kilometers on an electrical motor. This could potentially be a series of staggered structures to get around maximum cable lengths and move more distance electrically, up into the thermosphere.

  Updated  on Jan 11, 17 / Aqu 11, 01 02:34 UTC, Total number of edits: 1 time
Reason: typo

Dec 12, 17 / Cap 10, 01 12:42 UTC

ENGLISH
I would suggest my idea, but until this point, I'm not trying calculate this idea in figures. Modular platform consisting of inflatable modules, which are filled with helium.
These modular specss are inserted into a rigid frame of light but solid modern materials, titanium, carbon, composite.

The number of modules is defined to ensure that the platform rises and the payload to the minimum height. 

The platform must have a center hole-tunnel to which the spacecraft is inserted. Raising the platform to the maximum possible height and then running from the rocket platform with payload will carry out the required and calculated number of propeller electrical engines, located both inside the platform itself and at the edges of platform.

RUSSIAN
У меня есть идея, как организовать недорогие и главное достаточно экономичные запуски на орбиту. Для этой цели требуется разработать модульную жесткую платформу, состоящую из самых легких и прочных современных материалов, композиты, титан, углеволокно. В центре платформы будет отверстие тунель, в котором закрепляется ракета-носитель. Суть платформы, это жесткая легкая конструкция, возможно многоярусная, рама с ячейками для прикрепления надувных баллонов с гелием. Чем больше груз, который надо вывести на орбиту, тем больше надувных баллонов. Баллоны должны быть подобраны в таком количестве, чтобы обеспечивать платформе с ракетоносителем отрыв от земли с минимальной подъемной силой, не более.
Подъем платформы на заданную высоту для дальнейшего старта с платформы ракетоносителя будет осуществлять при помощи множественных электромоторов с лопастями.
Так как платформа модульная, количество требуемых электромоторов будет рассчитываться и устанавливаться с огромным запасом под конкретную задачу.
При достижении заданной высоты платформа зависает, включается маршевый двигатель ракеты и она просто вылетает с туннеля платформы и продолжает свой путь на маршевом двигателе.

  Last edited by:  Aleksandr Melnikov (Asgardian, Candidate, Member of the Parliament)  on Dec 13, 17 / Cap 11, 01 04:51 UTC, Total number of edits: 4 times

Dec 12, 17 / Cap 10, 01 19:09 UTC

старт с дирижабля обычной ракеты с массой в тысячи тонн вряд ли реален.А вот старт аппарата использующего как рабочее тело воздух превращаемый в плазму за счет подвода внешней энергии хотя и требует использовать в конструкции сменную или регенерируюмую термозащиту-но оченнь интересен.Сам дерижабль может иметь прозрачную верхнюю оболочку и плавающие внутри надувные солнечные рефлекторы-а поскольку -металлизированная и прозрачная пленки на порядок дешевле кремниевых элементов-получим солнечную электростанцию-мощности которой хватит для движения около 200 км в час(грузоперевозки...)Еще это отличный ретранслятор сотовой связи и источник внешней энергии для гиперзвуковых самолетов и авиеток.Возможно-ретранслятор энергии с космических солнечных станций схожей конструкции которые вообще не ограничены в размерах

the start of an airship of conventional missiles weighing thousands of tons is hardly realistic.But the start of the apparatus using as a working body of the air is converted into plasma by supplying external energy, although it requires to use in the design of the replacement or regenerierung thermal protection-but very interesting.The dirigible may have a transparent upper shell and floating inside an inflatable solar reflectors-as -metallised and transparent films and much cheaper than silicon cells-get solar power-power which is enough for the movement of about 200 km per hour(transportation...)More it great relay a cellular communication and a source of external energy for hypersonic aircraft and airplanes.Possible relay of energy from space solar power stations of similar design which are generally not limited in size

  Last edited by:  Rem Krivonos (Asgardian)  on Dec 14, 17 / Cap 12, 01 15:38 UTC, Total number of edits: 1 time