Rakaydos

http://jpaerospace.com/ for the Airship to Orbit program. They're a bit slow updating, and they're early in the "learning to build edge-of-atmosphere loading docks" stage. (while they're at it, they offer "near space experimental payload space" to thousands of students, as long as their experiments fit in pingpong balls they dump in a hopper on their lifters)\ Edit: they moved their regular updates to facebook, it looks like: https://www.facebook.com/jpaerospace?sk=wall

It seems like the major stumbling block for a chemical mars mission is the expence of the large number of launches needed to build the craft, right? What if the cost of a launch could be dramatically reduced? like, dollars per pound cheap? One of the most interesting launcher proposals I've seen isnt a rocket at all- it's a chain of airships (designed for lower and lower pressures) that tranship cargo to low earth orbt over the course of about two weeks. The final stage is a multi-kilometer aerodynamic gasbag that could never survive winds near the surface, but never drops below the edge of the atmosphere. After receving cargo from the previous airship stage, it uses a high ISP low thrust system (plsma drive of some kind?) to move the airship. As the airship speeds up, it generates aerodynamic lift, which reduces atmospheric pressure, which reduces drag, which permits a higher top speed. At a certian point, you can replace "aerodynamic lift" with "orbital velocity", as you slowly work your way up to low earth orbit.

Air Force X-37b

In the book Agent to the Stars, aliens come, realize that they would be considered fundamentally revolting and destabilizing by the locals, and decide they need advice as to best revel themselves to the world. So they reveal themselves to a Holywood Agent. (someone who's job it is to get actors jobs) In the webcomic CyantianChronicals, aliens show up, see the earth is occupied, and start terraforming mars and venus instead.

What would it take to move batteries, solar cells, ion engines, and the like over to the Science tab or the Control tab?

I might mess with this tomorrow, try and shoehorn in deep-sea kethane refining. Because when you have infinite cruising range, why not?

I'm working on an ion powered kethane lifter for minmus and gilly. 24 ion engines, with just enough solar power to full throttle directly into the sun.

I lifted a FL-400 fuel tank (full) from the surface of minmus into an orbit... using ion engines only. If I can land this beast, I'm pretty sure this is the cheapest way to kethane mine.

Design and build a minmus lifter that can put Kethane into orbit... using only electricity and Xenon. A dedicated launcher on Minmus is allowed, so long as the launcher does not use liquid fuel or RCS fuel. Bonus points if you can leave the Kethane in orbit and land again.

Thank you.

Can I have a spaceport link? the only Damned robotics entry I could find hid all regular parts when I tried using it.

Specifically, I'm trying to build a horizontal mass driver for Minmus- hook up a kethane-filled fuel can, start it spinning, extend the winch(s), release the winch at maximum speed, and RCS the fuel can into a stable orbit. Or launch anything else, within the mass limits of the launcher.

I have an ambitious plan for a minmus mass driver, that requires a rotating bearing part. Scott Manley used a module that would meet my needs during his Reusable Space Program youtube series, but I do not believe he actually identified the part or the mod it is from. ( )I'm looking for a part that can freely rotate on one access, and attach additional parts to that rotating section. I would be interested in comparing different types of bearings, if more than one is available.