How about a lighter than air ship to space ?

[Sky727]

The video explores a new idea for reaching space using airships instead of traditional rockets, showing animations and explanations of how it could work. JP Aerospace, America’s OTHER Space Program is already on the job to make this a reality. Using Magnetohydrodynamic plasma engines on an extreme altitude airship to slowly achieve orbital velocity and space. New Animation and system. This is what we're working on, Airship to Orbit. We are hundreds of test flights and thousands of engine and wind tunnel test into the program. Here is the latest configuration of this new space launch system and an overview of how it all works. MHD MHD plasma engines

[BeyondKnowledge]

So they are trading robust material for ships the size of small states yet are just balloons? The target size for micro meteorites is ridiculous. Just the fact that the 'ship' will be so big makes it vulnerable to leaks by punctures from the hundreds of tones of meteors that enter Earth's atmosphere every year.

Project echo? Have you ever seen a space blanket? Aluminized mylor, the same as a silver potato chip bag. A balloon made of that is what they are talking about. And they were sent up by rocket and then inflated in oubit. Not flown up inflated. Kind of destroys the whole idea. 

Oh, in space, why push around all that useless gas that fills the balloon? Needs more thrust move all that non-functional mass around. Tons of useless mass in the gas alone. Lighter than air is much heavier than vacuum.

Thanks for posting this joke.

[BeyondKnowledge]

Having thought about it, that starfish could make a nice gas link system. Below orbit Internet service. Solar powered and just a few hundred to cover the planet. They would have to have some navigational correction power though to keep them separated. Nice place for weather monitoring.

Hydrogen could be the lifting gas of choice as there would not be enough oxygen for it to burn up there. Also water for ballest because it could be made into lifting gas as needed.

They just picked the wrong application of the technology.

[Mantiss2021]

Worked with these folks back in the 1990's. 

They were contracted by the US Air Firce to develop a very high altitude (95,000-100,000+FT) ISR platform. This, and their "Dark Sky Station" are developments from that initial contract.  

The "Orbital Airship" should not be confused with a typical blimp or dirigible. There is some interesting technology involved. In fact, the firm's owner holds a US patent covering the methodology of flying an "airship to orbit".

[BeyondKnowledge]

Worked with these folks back in the 1990's. 

They were contracted by the US Air Firce to develop a very high altitude (95,000-100,000+FT) ISR platform. This, and their "Dark Sky Station" are developments from that initial contract.  

The "Orbital Airship" should not be confused with a typical blimp or dirigible. There is some interesting technology involved. In fact, the firm's owner holds a US patent covering the methodology of flying an "airship to orbit".

That is all nice but what is the point of pushing tones of unbreathable gas that is too low a pressure to breath if it were breathable, around in space? That would most likely be ounces per square inch pressure of hydrogen. Any higher pressure and it would cause the structure to be too heavy to be cost effective in materials and fuel mass to move.

Remember, we are talking potato chip bags the size of states or small countries. Also there is no need for any of that gas in space except for structural support of solar panels as it provides no lift. If you look at some of the video replies, many say it will melt before getting to orbital velocity because of friction. 

Now if the same material were to be made into a solar sail with an inflated structure, that might fly. A rocket would be needed to put it in orbit though and then inflated.

Again, as the video is made, it is a joke. It doesn't need to be viable to be patented.

[Mantiss2021]

That is all nice but what is the point of pushing tones of unbreathable gas that is too low a pressure to breath if it were breathable, around in space? That would most likely be ounces per square inch pressure of hydrogen. Any higher pressure and it would cause the structure to be too heavy to be cost effective in materials and fuel mass to move.

Remember, we are talking potato chip bags the size of states or small countries. Also there is no need for any of that gas in space except for structural support of solar panels as it provides no lift. If you look at some of the video replies, many say it will melt before getting to orbital velocity because of friction. 

Now if the same material were to be made into a solar sail with an inflated structure, that might fly. A rocket would be needed to put it in orbit though and then inflated.

Again, as the video is made, it is a joke. It doesn't need to be viable to be patented.

Maybe you should contact the company and explain to them why their plan doesn't work, or  at least makes no sense?

Then you can come back here and tell us what they said.

[BeyondKnowledge]

Maybe you should contact the company and explain to them why their plan doesn't work, or  at least makes no sense?

Then you can come back here and tell us what they said.

Do you actually expect them to listen when they already have people and likely governments investing money in it?

[Mantiss2021]

You seem to have legitimate questions. Questions I am sure other folks share with you, and that are not, apparently, answered in the video.

It is not a matter of whether or not they "listen" to you, unless you intend to offer them solutions,  or advice, on how to do what they are trying to do. 

It is a matter of showing enough interest in the endeavor that you are trying to understand how this approach can work.


I had a look at their website, and it appears that they do a lot of work with schools, so I would assume they are used to answering questions. They also appear to work on a "volunteer" basis: they do not seem to have paid employees! So that's unusual.

And, since DoGE, I wonder if they are still a government contractor.