Science
Related: About this forumCan Spaceflight Innovation Survive Deep Budget Cuts?
Participants at the 2012 American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics heard some alarming truths from their opening speaker.
//snip
Read more at Space.com: http://www.space.com/17560-spaceflight-innovation-budget-cuts.html
phantom power
(25,966 posts)You can use the atmosphere for lift, as high as you can, then kick into true rocket mode. You can build a space elevator. There are some concepts for not using fuel on-board, like rail-gun launching or propulsion with ground-based lasers, although those always seemed more fringe-y to me. If there's any other categories of solution, I'm unaware of them
In a hypothetical future, if we develop manufacturing in space, then a third option is to just avoid deep gravity wells altogether, whenever possible.
a geek named Bob
(2,715 posts)with avoiding the Wells, is that we need organic volatiles, to keep a leither mining the CV setion ife cycle going...
That means either mining the CV section of the belt, or scoop-mining a gas giant.
Pournelle did a write up of how to operate laser-powered rockets. The main problem there, is that you're dealing with 3G at launch...
Not exactly standard passenger fare.
(Of course, I'll keep pushing for flights as comfortable as First class select, aboard a good quality old school jetliner...)