Any thoughts on the colonization of the Stratosphere?

Stratospheric facilities could be an excellent test bed for space
colonizies.

We're working on the flight hardware now and we're about 18 months
from the first crewed mission. I've posted some new pictures at the
JPA site.

www.jpaerospace.com

Just click on the big airship to get to the new pics.

JP

Hello,

Congratulations for your program. I have watched the animation and read about your concept and I think this is a good idea for the forthcoming future.

But about the colonization of the stratosphere I am not so enthusiastic. Our aim in creating the space settlement is to make it independent, as an alternative in case of an Earth related disaster, for maintaining the human species alive. (the extraordinary financial resources needed still keep this concept far from reality and probably a vital necesity will determine its construction.)
By constructing them in the stratosphere we enroach the main purpose of the space settlement. And what about that gravitational equilibrum zone L4 or L5 ? we really need it.

Anyway I think your concept can have applicability in tourism. (I would like to make a safe flight very-very up in the sky). :)

Good luck !

Andrei Costea

rocketballoon wrote:

Any thoughts on the colonization of the Stratosphere?

Stratospheric facilities could be an excellent test bed for space
colonizies.

We're working on the flight hardware now and we're about 18 months
from the first crewed mission. I've posted some new pictures at the
JPA site.

www.jpaerospace.com

Just click on the big airship to get to the new pics.

JP

rocketballoon wrote:

>Any thoughts on the colonization of the Stratosphere?
>
>Stratospheric facilities could be an excellent test bed for space
>colonizies.
>
Some years ago I imagined to settle venus like that. Floating facilities
just above the clouds, riding the
jet streams that circle venus every dozens of hours (IIRC). Getting
power from wind speed differences.

>We're working on the flight hardware now and we're about 18 months
>from the first crewed mission. I've posted some new pictures at the
>JPA site.
>
When will you tell us about the magical trick to make the airship to
orbit work?
In my opinion the lifter principle is still the most interesting
principle for your ATO mysterious propulsion,
maybe combined with some electrostatic effects. May depend on actual
ionization levels up
in high atmosphere.

But even if it won't work - at least it was good creative thinking.
Good Luck. Have fun.

Axel wrote:

>Some years ago I imagined to settle venus like that. Floating
facilities just above the clouds, riding the jet streams that circle
venus every dozens of hours (IIRC). Getting power from wind speed
differences.

Venus is good for this. At just under 50km above the ground, the
atmospheric pressure is equivalent to that at the Earth's surface, and
the temperature is around 40C. However, that's in the middle of the
sulphuric-acid-droplet clouds.

Above these, in clear air around the 75km mark, the temperature is about
-70C and the pressure about 20mb. Perfect for high-altitude ballooning,
and solar arrays would work a treat with twice the Earth's insolation.
Just don't fall off. ;-)

>When will you tell us about the magical trick to make the airship to
orbit work?

The article points to the use of an ion-engine to slowly accelerate the
craft once lift=0, in the very thin high atmosphere. I guess as speeds
increase the dynamic lift increases and you can s-l-o-w-l-y fly the last
bit.

Andy

>Any thoughts on the colonization of the Stratosphere?

Does it give advantages for getting stuff into space rather than a straight
off-earth lift?

--- In spacesettlers, "Alan Patrick" wrote:

>>Any thoughts on the colonization of the Stratosphere?

> Does it give advantages for getting stuff into space rather than a
> straight off-earth lift?

If you can put a maglev betwixt the ground and your floating city,
then you betcha it does.