Re: starship-design: How to build a station.

[Ben Franchuk <bfranchuk@jetnet.ab.ca>]

KellySt@aol.com wrote:
> 
> Ok, to try to be more constructive in this argument.
> 
> How would you get a small craft into space?
> 
> Well one option is hobbeist.  Their are folks building and flying homemade
> ejector ramjets.  The digging I attached seemed fairly comfortable with
> Ramjets/scramjets getting up to, maybe above mach  6.  With a bit of work
> getting a ejector ram or pulse get to funding as a rocket in hard vac is
> doable,
> so the engine weight penalty wouldn't be high.

The real catch is not saving fuel ( that helps ) is that the ram jet
must be very light as it is dead weight after the air runs out
and must be the same weight or less as the weight saved in the airframe
from the lighter fuel load. This starting to look like a TSTO design.
Since one at this time can't land back in US air space, how about
ocean based space/port ... save on landing gear and runways, and you
get a neat launch.... rockets ignite until the ramjet kicks in,
and off you go.