[geeks] ultralight suicide mission

[Phil Stracchino]

Brian Dunbar wrote:
> We've been contacted by people who are seriously interested in using our
> tether and lifter - you know, once it's been built - to jump from the 
> edge of space - above 40,000 meters.

This actually reflects upon a topic I was considering slightly earlier
today:  Is it possible, with the correct equipment, to survive [with a
pressure suit and oxygen supply, of course] a parachute jump from low
earth orbit?  I haven't run any of the numbers yet, but my suspicion is
that if you had a de-orbit thruster with enough total impulse to
completely kill your orbital velocity, or if you started out stationary
in the first place by jumping off a beanstalk, it ought to be possible.

It would be crucial to jump off the leading side of the elevator, of
course, so that coriolis forces would carry you away from the tether
instead of slamming you into it.  Jump off the trailing side, in vacuum,
and you could be really moving by the time you drifted into the tether.


-- 
 Same geek, same site, new location
 Phil Stracchino                     Landline: 603-429-0220
 phil.stracchino at speakeasy.net         Mobile: 603-216-7037
 Renaissance Man, Unix generalist, Perl hacker, Free Stater