Cheaper Space Travel?

2009-02-19 19:45:28

#1

FatherTed: xD; +3,936|6803|so randum

It's not as unlikely as you think

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7898434.stm

BBC wrote:
An innovative UK launcher concept is to get 1m euros (£900,000) of investment from the European Space Agency (Esa).

The Skylon spaceplane would take off from a conventional aircraft runway, carry over 12 tonnes to orbit and then return to land on the same runway.

The money will help prove the vehicle's core technologies, including its Sabre air-breathing rocket engine.

https://news.cnet.com/i/ne/p/2008/skylon_orbit_550x367.jpg

BBC wrote:
The Skylon concept's key enabling technology is its Sabre propulsion system.

It is part jet engine, part rocket engine. It burns hydrogen and oxygen to provide thrust - but in the lower atmosphere this oxygen is taken from the atmosphere.

At high speeds, this requires Sabre cope with 1,000 degree gasses entering its intake. These need to be cooled prior to being compressed and burnt with the hydrogen.

Reaction Engines' breakthrough is a remarkable heat exchanger pre-cooler.

Arrays of extremely fine piping plunge the hot intake gases to minus 130C in just 100th of a second.

Hadn't heard of this before, sounds fantastic. Will it end up being a pipe dream though with current economic...issues.

Discuss.

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2009-02-19 19:50:18

#2

Kmar: Truth is my Bitch; +5,695|6904|132 and Bush

Is this similar to the X prize?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ansari_X_Prize

Xbone Stormsurgezz

2009-02-19 19:54:05

#3

FatherTed: xD; +3,936|6803|so randum

Kmarion wrote:
Is this similar to the X prize?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ansari_X_Prize

Without reading too much into it, i don't think so. Similar concept of product, but the Skylon venture seems to be an unsupported project getting given a grant, as opposed to competition based funding.

From what i understand about the engine though, the tech seems very doable (apart from the extreme cooling, and well, the fuels well, free lol.

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2009-02-19 19:58:10

#4

Poseidon: Fudgepack DeQueef; +3,253|6841|Long Island, New York

It'd be awesome for business if space travel reached companies like FedEx or UPS. They could get freight from one side of the world to the other in like, 1/8th the amount of time it would take now.

FedEx Galactic lez do it

2009-02-19 19:59:09

#5

Mitch: 16 more years; +877|6828|South Florida

Wasn't there a Virgin space program by that super rich dude who owns virgin?

brosman or something?

15 more years! 15 more years!

2009-02-19 20:02:28

#6

FatherTed: xD; +3,936|6803|so randum

Mitch wrote:
Wasn't there a Virgin space program by that super rich dude who owns virgin?

brosman or something?

Sir Richard Branson. Yeah, his craft is the same one as in the link Kmar posted

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4178747.stm

Same concept, different propulsion.

Last edited by FatherTed (2009-02-19 20:02:49)

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2009-02-19 20:03:39

#7

Kmar: Truth is my Bitch; +5,695|6904|132 and Bush

Mitch wrote:
Wasn't there a Virgin space program by that super rich dude who owns virgin?

brosman or something?

Yes. Lockheed Martin tried with the X-33 and the Venture Star also.

Xbone Stormsurgezz

2009-02-19 20:03:42

#8

Superior Mind: (not macbeth); +1,755|6996

Poseidon wrote:
It'd be awesome for business if space travel reached companies like FedEx or UPS. They could get freight from one side of the world to the other in like, 1/8th the amount of time it would take now.

FedEx Galactic lez do it

!

A black van is on its way to your house.

x

2009-02-19 20:06:57

#9

AussieReaper: ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°); +5,761|6456|what

FatherTed wrote:
The Skylon spaceplane would take off from a conventional aircraft runway, carry over 12 tonnes to orbit and then return to land on the same runway.

A 12-tonne nuclear warhead.

2009-02-19 20:09:07

#10

Kmar: Truth is my Bitch; +5,695|6904|132 and Bush

It will be interesting to find out how it makes the transition from oxygen in the upper atmosphere. Sounds very dangerous.

Xbone Stormsurgezz

2009-02-19 20:11:31

#11

FatherTed: xD; +3,936|6803|so randum

Kmarion wrote:
It will be interesting to find out how it makes the transition from oxygen in the upper atmosphere. Sounds very dangerous.

Quite.

I think that rapid cooling tech is fascinating!

Doesn't scramjet employ the same hydrogen/oxygen fueling idea?

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2009-02-19 20:16:00

#12

Kmar: Truth is my Bitch; +5,695|6904|132 and Bush

Scram jet is liquid oxygen though. Isn't the OP talking about harvesting from the lower atmospere?

Xbone Stormsurgezz

2009-02-19 20:17:41

#13

FatherTed: xD; +3,936|6803|so randum

Kmarion wrote:
Scram jet is liquid oxygen though. Isn't the OP talking about harvesting from the lower atmospere?

I think so, via simple induction.

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2009-02-19 20:24:47

#14

Kmar: Truth is my Bitch; +5,695|6904|132 and Bush

Skylon seems more practical.. once it answers some key questions.

Xbone Stormsurgezz

2009-02-19 20:30:20

#15

FatherTed: xD; +3,936|6803|so randum

Kmarion wrote:
Skylon seems more practical.. once it answers some key questions.

Yeah, once they get a working model of that cooling system, i'll start to get excited about this.

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2009-02-20 03:12:56

#16

FEOS: Bellicose Yankee Air Pirate; +1,182|6714|'Murka

FatherTed wrote:
Kmarion wrote:
Skylon seems more practical.. once it answers some key questions.
Yeah, once they get a working model of that cooling system, i'll start to get excited about this.

Biggest question: Where does the heat go? To cool superheated air to that degree that rapidly seems a bit farfetched. Been too long since I took thermodynamics, but it would seem to be counter-intuitive that you could do that without something very bad happening.

That would be a huge leap in technology...for a (relatively) paltry investment. I won't hold my breath.

“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”
― Albert Einstein
Doing the popular thing is not always right. Doing the right thing is not always popular

2009-02-20 09:50:18

#17

Bradt3hleader: Care [ ] - Don't care [x]; +121|6239

That would be grat, I'm sick of the 12 hour flights from London to L.A. when I'm going on my yearly visit to the States.

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Mitch wrote:

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FatherTed wrote:

Kmarion wrote:

Kmarion wrote:

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FatherTed wrote:

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