Air ships to space? Snoopy goes hyper!

Interesting concept. I'm not sure how they came up with their cost estimates, my guess is they will quickly go over budget.

I don't recall seeing any cost forecast; only their million dollars outlay at the '05 date of article publication...and the R & D and "prototype-ing" is evidently still underway since then. The article seemed to indicate use only for non-human payloads, which would greatly reduce cost, and weight for life and limb support. It also seems...that if "booster" stage ascent included passage through a jet stream, that could provide a partly free ride in terms of populsion (for orbital insertion) development. There's also the technology spin-offs that could help offset...

Ok in theory...but big airships aren't that controllable..come to think of it, neither is the weather...
Mind it could be a safer investment than an Icelandic Bank .

Del

The idea is, indeed, intriguing. Cost aside, the ability of an airship to lift something of substantial size, to a height of 30 to 40 kilometers, seems preposterous. The air pressure at that height, would cause the load envelope to buckle. Such a ship would have to maintain, and increase its' pressure, to stay aloft.

Wouldn't it just increase in volume. As the atmospheric pressure decreases with the increase in altitude why would the gas not just expand to compensate so long as the volume was not fixed.

http://fly.hiwaay.net/~bbrown/hiball8.htm

Fixed frames are not good for a huge pressure range. Remember the trouble they had with the Comet aircraft. That could be completely avoided by a variable volume.

The next major hurdle is the temperature change due to altitude and solar heating.

BAB

I had the occasion to see the launch of meteo balloons. They are underloaded with the helium (I think) because at the heights where there is a lower atmospheric pressure, there will be a "balance" between the volume necessary to maintain the balloon rise and the inside pressure. Also, with no connection to the subject, the devices to collect meteo data, and to transmit them were very simple but effective.

make a marking, interesting.

A Zeppelin to the Moon! Hurrah!!!

Dare you to take Zeppelin to travel?

Would so dare if such travel were available. Unfortunately, it's not a commonplace option these days. I have ridden in hot air balloons, though, and it is a LOT of fun!

really? are you a driver or traveller?

Can you show us your photo on it when rise in space? and look around?

Passenger, not operator. "Rise in space" is a stretch - it only rose a few hundred feet, but great views! And while I did take lots of photos, all were on film, no digital pics to share, sorry. Maybe I'll have another opportunity with a digital camera!

wonderful and exciting travel in the air, hehe, havent thought you are a traditional photographer.

however if you would like to share it, it would be easy to process by scanning the films into digital signal.

The first stage?

Artist concept...from space:

Orbital stage?