On Tue, 17 Dec 2002 04:13:12 +0000, Ian Woollard
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>> When you have a vehicle capable of orbital velocity, $10k won't be a
>> problem.
>
>Probably, possibly, maybe. I'm currently looking at how small a vehicle
>can be made, with a payload and still make orbit and hopefully come
>back. $10k is actually significant, and I may lose a few... The guidance
>looks to be the most expensive subsystem at the moment, but that
>probably just means I haven't understood my problems yet.
Let me make sure I understand this: you're looking to launch a small
vehicle into orbit for some small multiple of $10,000?
Dude. Stop smoking that stuff and start *selling* it! Your financial
worries will be over. After you've made your fortune, you can invest
the millions it will actually cost.
First thing, orbital vehicles don't scale down well. Many components
you need to get to orbit come in a minimum size & mass, and as the
vehicle gets smaller, their relative contribution to dry mass
increases. Before too long, you can't make orbit; you just don't have
the mass fraction.
Second thing, you'll need liquid fuel rockets to get you there, and
liquid fuel rocketry is basically fancy plumbing with a bunch of
constraints put on it (can't be heavy, can't use much power, etc). You
don't have time to develop Swagelok's expertise in making plumbing
connectors, and you can't live without it. Ditto valves, solenoids,
transducers, attitude sensors of whatever stripe, GPS, A/D boards,
radios... It's a long list when you're going to orbit. If you try to
make those things yourself, you'll bog down in details, and they'll be
too heavy anyway. If you want reliable light components, you have to
buy them. That's going to take you past any small multiple of $10,000
before you even get an orbiter off the test stand.
To offer another perspective: we've spent over $10,000 on KISS, and it
doesn't _have_ a guidance system. When you start building flight
vehicles, things get expensive. We expect to spend another $10,000 to
get POGO flying, and no one will be surprised if we go over budget
again.
I don't wish to rain on your parade, but the first step in any project
is set user expectations. I believe yours are unrealistic.
I would be thrilled to be proven wrong. :-)
-R
--
"Is this a bagel?"
"It's the Guardian of Forever!"
"Well yes. But is it a bagel?"
--Overheard at Loscon 29
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