/sci/ - Science & Math

EXCELLENT! You are all on board! With a simple launch platform we can get a single 250,000 ton mining rig into orbit. The crew will be brought to it gently in "space planes" similar to or perhaps based on the SABRE project. They will unpack the rig from it's launch state to its travel state and fly it to that asteroid or one of the many near earth asteroids just like it. It will then begin carving up the asteroid and launching the valuable pieces in easy to catch re-entry packages making soft landings or splash downs.

It's just that simple folks.

Undergrad astrophysics major here...

I think I'm going to be changing to aerospace engineering next year if my college lets me...
I want to design spaceships.

I have a plan for the private colonization of the moon. My plan includes 5 aerospace companies they are

1.SpaceX
2.Bigelow aerospace
3.Virgin galactic or Reaction Engines Limited
4.Armadillo aerospace
5.Ad Astra Rocket company

First SpaceX launches the Sundancer Inflatable habitation module into LEO and offers rides to it by its dragon spacecraft. Later once Virgin galactic or
Reaction Engines Limited, creates a spaceplane that can get to LEO, the ferrying of people to the Bigelow space stations can be taken over by one of these companies.
By this point the Falcon 9 rocket is expected to be completely reusable, and can be used to carry Cargo or new Space station parts(Such as the BA 330)to LEO. By this
point Access to LEO will be relativity cheap and routine, with Cargo being carried to LEO by the reusable Falcon 9, and people by the SKYLON or one of SpaceShip series
Also we will have space station technology superior to the international space station. After this you launch a bigelow space station into geostationary orbit around the earth
to act as a transfer point to the moon. You can get there using a modified Dragon SpaceCraft you could make this craft small and without living space because its a relativity short trip.

Hello /sci/ what do you think of private spaceflight?

The age of private spaceflight is upon us.

There are companies making access to LEO far cheaper.
http://www.spacex.com/
People making reusable suborbital space planes.
http://www.virgingalactic.com/
People making space habitats that only cost 100 million$ and yet can carry and many as the 100 billion$ ISS.
http://www.bigelowaerospace.com/
People working on engines that could one day power a SSTO spaceplane that can carry 24 passengers to orbit.
http://www.reactionengines.co.uk/

If the senate NASA bill passes in September 2.4 billion will be given to the private sector to advance their goals.

assuming most of you are 15-30 its very likely that you could visit space in your lifetime.

Guess what the Skylon reminds me of?

>>1528007
THIS THING! It is one step to getting us there!

You guys want to go to space? Here is part of the way.

Hello /sci/ what do you think of the SKYLON spaceplane concept?
It uses two air breathing hybrid SABRE engines to achieve orbit.
Slthough made to be a cheap unmanned cargo transport it is capable of carrying 24 passengers to LEO and to a space station(It would have to be a bigelow complex because the ISS can't hold 24 people and 4 BA 330's can).

Links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reaction_Engines_Skylon
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reaction_Engines_SABRE
http://www.reactionengines.co.uk/