Space Forum / Space Policy / October 2003

Now that you guys have killed my supergun idea [tears...], what about
a giant balloon/zeppelin that could fly upwards of 50KM in the
stratosphere.  Then it could launch an orbital space plane from under
its body (after detaching).  The Zeppelin could be built to be either

http://www.spacedaily.com/news/rocketscience-03zy.html
This article lists some very compelling  reasons why the OSP should be a
capsule.

Joann Evans in his last post sent me a url regarding Pegasus.  The web
page had several pages of Pegasus, and the now civilian aircraft used
to launch it.
Could a scaled up Pagasus be used to send a person into LEO like an

As is obvious by my previous post reply and other mars posts show
nothing of any serious work has been conducted by NASA [or anyone
else] for a human mission to Mars as yet, and with NASA's robotic
fleet being the current main thrust of NASA's intrest in Mars, has

This is a trade off I have been trying to get a handle on for some time.
Firstly, very crudely assuming that the subsonic airlaunch vehicle
delivers rocket at $500/ton and the supersonic airlaunch vehicle
delivers rocket at $5000/ton.  I am just guessing these numbers trying

Testing of Russian "space parachute" for returning cargoes to earth
postponed
Moscow, 23 September: Tests of the Russian "space parachute"
Demonstrator-2 have been postponed until May 2004, the press secretary