If I payed SpaceX to launch?

[quasarrgames]

I want to second this motion. It is much more reasonable to believe the KSP community could raise the money for this and it would be just as awesome.

I believe this successful kickstarter (Putting a Tardis in orbit) is the best example of what can realistically be achieved:

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/573935592/were-putting-a-tardis-into-orbit-really

I would second this motion too, but if one of the reasons why we are doing this is to raise publiocity for kerbal space program, why don't we just send a Shapeway Jebediah figurine into orbit instead?

[Ryu Gemini]

I believe I have a solution.

We will not launch a real bus. We will not launch a toy bus. We will launch... an INFLATABLE bus. Lightweight and small item, but capable of expanding to the size of a real bus through the use of a small tank of compressed air sent up with it. It can be a very small tank too, you don't need very high pressure in the inflato-bus when outside is a vacuum.

And it will serve as a good test for materials some groups are considering for using to build inflatable space stations, if done correctly.

Since it would be small and light-weight, it may be viable to attach some instrument or another to it too for scientific value of some other sort. Also, we need a small solar panel attached to a battery, camera, and small antennae, all attached to something that projects a little bit away from the inflato-bus (maybe a hood "antennae" so we can get a head-on picture of the "bus"). Aside from taking a picture, it will also let us know how long the inflation holds up.

And since it IS inflatable, there is pretty much no concern whatsoever if it does end up falling into the atmosphere. Something lightweight with the surface area it has, even if it deflates and shrinks a little, is extremely unlikely to endanger anything to say the least.

There you have it. A full-sized bus-like object, that can be launched into space at low cost, and which can even further spacecraft design a bit (well, space station, but still) by acting as a proof of concept prototype. Only, you know, it looks like a bus and not anything remotely "space stationy."

.

[Ryu Gemini]

Oh, and naturally, this inflatable bus would have an inflatable Jebediah Kerman sticking his head out the driver's window (or where the window would be if it were an actual window, it would more be just an inflatable Jeb's head and helmet protruding from the side of the inflatobus, so as to look a bit like it is coming out the side from whatever angle the camera is at).

Edit: oh, and my sig applies. No parachutes. Parachutes would encourage inflato-jeb to crash the space-bus. Also, they aren't necessary for reasons in my last post anyway.

[rdfox]

Guys, guys, guys, I think you're missing the ideal way to make this a truly appropriate way to enhance public opinion of spaceflight *and* to raise KSP's profile.

We launch a fully-functioning, full-scale replica of the KSP three-man command pod (albeit without actual life support systems or functioning displays or anything), complete with life-sized Jeb, Bill, and Bob replicas on board, into LEO. And then, after it's stayed in orbit for a few days, taking some photos with an automated GoPro and possibly carrying some experiments, we bring it back. Intact. So we can put it on display.

THAT, my friends, would grab the public's attention a lot more than just throwing a school bus into LEO would. Because this would be a completely privately-funded orbital spacecraft that makes a successful return and landing, and while *we* know it's not really anywhere near capable of supporting life, it would *look* like a manned spacecraft.

Now, someone start looking at the costs and requirements to do *that*... and I suspect they'll be less prohibitive than you might think, given the small size of the Kerbals...