Samantha Atkins wrote:
> Adrian Tymes wrote:
> >
> > "Ross A. Finlayson" wrote:
> > >
> > > Hello,
> > >
> > > How about a rocket that you can carry around and set on the ground,
> > > where it will then launch itself into space. Here I am talking about a
> > > rocket that weighs less than fifty pounds. It would have a
> > > self-contained levelling stand so it could point in the good direction
> > > to achieve orbit. I am thinking it would have a propellant or ion
> > > exhaust. If it was fusion powered, it could escape the plasma into the
> > > launch vesicle, and power itself from the via ramscoop once it hit
> > > velocity. You would have to stand fifty or a hundred meters away.
>
> Exactly what kind of rocket can acheive the necessary thrust to reach
> orbit on less than fifty pounds of possible reaction mass/fuel
> (including the engine)? Unless you have mastered anti-matter/matter
> reactions or can nullify gravity this looks like a very idle pipe-dream.
>
> - samantha
It uses the air it flies through as reaction mass, much like a jet engine of an
airplane. I was thinking also that that it could deploy a small solar sail on
orbit. It could do that. I can draw a diagram of it.
In terms of very idle pipe-dreams, it might qualify, yet it is grounded for
that.
Last century, they invented the rockets that could launch all the way from
Germany to London. Then a couple decades later they sent some to the moon.
Ross
-- Ross Andrew Finlayson Finlayson Consulting Ross at Tiki-Lounge: http://www.tiki-lounge.com/~raf/ "The best mathematician in the world is Maplev in Ontario." - Pertti L.
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