Happy Friday! Launching to Space with only Air-Breathing Engines!

[Hooligan Labs]

Who wants to see another experiment?

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/s0jbwT77S7U" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

You can see my first experiment here! http://kerbalspaceprogram.com/forum/showthread.php/18861-Fun-Hovercraft-Experimentation-Video

[TheCardinal]

Since the atmosphere extends to something like 65 km, the outcome of your experiments hasn't proven yet that reaching space with only airbreathing engines is possible. (Although the experiments haven't disproven it either).

[Hooligan Labs]

I think this is a fine proof of concept, especially since it was done only with stock parts! Hoping for new options in 0.17.

This is also to get attention to the lack of engine glow! It works on my laptop but not my PC.

Edit: However, Kerbin's atmosphere officially ends at 69,077.55 meters. However, given that Kerbin's atmosphere gets exponentially less dense as altitude increases (5 km scale height) and density == 1.2223*exp(-alt(m)/5000), the density is only 0.0001508438 kg/m3 at the highest point I reached of 45,000 m. That is ~0.012% of the density at the surface, so that's pretty close to a vacuum!

Source: http://kspwiki.nexisonline.net/wiki/Kerbin

Edited September 7, 2012 by Hooligan Labs
More Science

[Tim_Barrett]

I had some doubt at first because I thought the title said "Launching into orbit with only air-breathing engines"

Almost fell out of my chair. ;D

[Iskierka]

Kerbin's equivalent of the von Karman line is somewhere between 40-45 km. Pretty good, I didn't think it was possible to get so high on them.

[Elven_sword]

The Karman Line is about 68-70 km on kerbin, actually. NovaSilisko, if you're listening, grant us the Karman Lines for Duna, Eve, and Laythe, please!