[geeks] ultralight suicide mission

[wa2egp at att.net]

 -------------- Original message ----------------------
From: Phil Stracchino <phil.stracchino at speakeasy.net>
> 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

I believe that NASA did figure out a way of doing it.  IIRC it did
involve multiple "parachutes".  I never heard much after I read the
article about it but I guess it got scrubbed since it would be hard
to carry about 8 hours of breathing gas. :)

Bob