cheap space launch

Hello folks, I would like your opinion of an idea I have for cheap
launch to orbit.

Most of the energy needed to get to orbit is in the velocity needed
to orbit not in the energy needed to lift an object up to a height
of 100km to 200km. If we are to throw an object into orbit we need
something like 8x10E5 cm/sec of speed (more like 10x10E5 cm/sec
taking into account drag). But the speed needed to throw an object
to a height of 100km is only 1.5x10E5 cm/sec (lets say 2x10E5 cm/sec
with drag). This is a lot easier to do about 25 times less energy.

Now once the object is at the 100km height it is picked up by an
orbiting device (satellite, thing). The device is a ten meter long
tube by 1 meter wide with a shutter that can be opened and closed at
the leading end. At the trailing end is a block of water ice 100
times the mass of the incoming object. From the point of view of the
device the incoming object is moving at 8x10E5 cm/sec. Let say the
paylaod is a block of water ice weighting 10Kg. The payload enters
the tube. The shutter closes in 1 millisec. The paylaod reaches the
stopping block of ice in 1 millisec. Let say 10% of the stopping
block is in the way of the paylaod. So the resulting mass of 110 Kg
is now moving about 8xE104 cm/sec in turn hits the steel plate at
the back of the tube weighting say 10,000Kg. The factional change in
momentum of the device is 1 part in 1000. The device remains in a
slight lower orbit.

What temperature and pressures are reached as the ice comes to rest
in the tube needs to be calculated. But we already have it down to
less 8x10E4 cm/sec.

Once the water is delivered some faction of the payload is used
along with solar power to thrust the device back into is orginial
orbit and the remaining fraction of water has been delivered to
orbit. The advantage is most of the thrusting can be done with very
high specific impluse ion enegines on orbit over a long period of
time many thousands of seconds. Rather than in one short 10 minute
burn with Isp of only 400 sec.

Does this make sense to anyone? Please send me email with your
opinions. Thanks.

Edwin Pell III (SSI member since 1976)
edpell@...
1-845-266-3266