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Skylon

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  On 5/23/2019 at 2:32 PM, Elthy said:

Dont forget that Starliner has a very low TWR with its Centaur upper stage, too. 2. Stage+Starliner are about 38t while two RL10 engines deliver about 200kN of thrust, so the TWR ist also close to 0.5...

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I don't think manned flights will be as heavy as 100 ton, how much do you think the crew area and life support system weight? 
Added weight to the cargo version so hull don't count only the internal parts+ insulation, no reason to use heavy or heat resistant materials here. 
Granted cargo weight don't affect twr much at separation. 
 

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  On 5/23/2019 at 4:05 PM, tater said:

Well, the road closures May 28/29 at Boca Chica were posted up the thread, so we knew that hopper was supposed to fly on those dates.

 

I think Bezos is right here. Both concepts are predicated on far cheaper access to space, and for large payloads. So for the colony idea, treat that as a given (Starship like, or greater payloads to LEO at prices that rival the cost to FedEx something overnight per kg). Also, human spaceflight down to airline level costs (maybe 1st class RT level, but that order of magnitude).

With those given, moving asteroids is a thing. That solves the materials issue for orbital habitats. Either way, each requires that humans live in 100% built environments. Equatorial LEO beats the Mars surface for radiation protection because Earth has a magnetic field (though the GCR threat is fundamentally the same). The solution at Mars is obviously straightforward (bury habs), whereas orbital colonies have to drag that regolith to the station.

I don't see a colonization path that makes economic sense for either, however.

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Yes, I agree more with Bezos here, on Mars the only thing you can do who give funding in this century is science. 
I obviosly want an Mars base but think it will be much more like the south pole base than an town. 
How far can an fully loaded starship jump on Mars and jump back again to base? 
If needed you could set up an refueling outpost on the other side. 

In orbit you have science, you also have space infrastructure like giant antennas and servicing this and other satellites. Probably manufacturing not an option now but people will come up with products and the upper stages tend to go down empty, and the obvious tourism. 

Moon has science, resources, higher dV cost than asteroids but can compete with an coil gun. Tourism again its an week trip ant the trip itself is awesome. 
 

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Entry burn onboard video...

Nice heating effects on the grid fins

Annnnndddd... first stage is on the boat.

Coasting. "Don't touch that dial." As if that guy is old enough to remember channel select dials.

Edited by Brotoro
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