Would the necessary medical procedure be covered by the upcoming health bill?
While this is suborbital and not quite "home built" I think it's an interesting study for the smallest possible envelope for a single person launch vehicle.http://www.copenhagensuborbitals.com/spacecraft.php
http://www.wired.com/magazine/2009/11/ff_whiteknight/Here is a very interesting article about SpaceshipTwo. The designer was asked about the technical problems when sending a space ship into orbit and all the problems we face today with re-entry into the atmosphere among other things, and he response was, quote: "Umm, really, it's not much of a technical job at all" Wow. This guy has it figured out, obviously. I especially like his startegy for re-entry into the atmosphere. So simple yet so genius.
Heat shield's too thin
Dunno, but I don't know how inflatable heatshields work.
By the way let’s stick to a pressurized cabin so as not to have to invest in an EVA suit. You could get a small tank for a few hundred dollars that could more than hold the needed pressure.
Quote from: ChuckC on 12/04/2009 10:27 pmBy the way let’s stick to a pressurized cabin so as not to have to invest in an EVA suit. You could get a small tank for a few hundred dollars that could more than hold the needed pressure. two words:Soyuz 11
Just for fun, If your willing to ride a solid, there is this new fuel that is a mix of nano AL and water ice. Give it a try. Easy and safer than most fuels to handle.A "manned" space craft could be built with off the self parts, it would just most likely be heavier than one built with more expensive and lighter aerospace grade parts. Assuming your willing to ignore the manufactures statements on most electronic semiconductors that say "Not to be used in a life support system".As for the goverment stopping people willing to try, as long as you follow the rules Orbital, SpaceX, Masten, Armadilo, Blue Origin, and Virgin Galactic seem to be making progress. That is the point of new space.From the movie, I have a problem with being able to patch back together an Atlas after it skidded along the ground.
Quote from: Downix on 12/04/2009 10:54 pmQuote from: ChuckC on 12/04/2009 10:27 pmBy the way let’s stick to a pressurized cabin so as not to have to invest in an EVA suit. You could get a small tank for a few hundred dollars that could more than hold the needed pressure. two words:Soyuz 11Theoretically, you could make most of your space suit (besides the helmet) out of something like duct tape and foam. With enough trial-and-error with a large vacuum chamber (and someone looking out for you for the first 200 times you try it and your suit leaks), it's possible, (though your medical bills would probably get pretty high before you finished testing). You'd be uninsurable, that's for sure. Don't know what I'd do for a helmet, but you could get something made out of lexan, and it'd be a start (wouldn't want something too brittle, otherwise you will cut your face up pretty bad when it fails during testing). You could use the same sort of life support system used for your cabin. We are talking seat-of-your-pants, here. I'm sure you would be the toughest son-of-a-gun astronaut ever after testing your spacesuit out in that way, assuming you survived without permanent injury. You'd be more accustomed to your body being exposed to vacuum than everyone in the world, combined. I'd imagine it'd take a while to recover after each test. You'd be getting effectively the bends every time your suit failed... Best to do this at like 10,000 feet (at Leadville, CO) or so to minimize the effects of the bends. And always have an oxygen mask handy. And lots of release valves on your vacuum chamber, both inside and outside.Also, you could likely burst your eardrums, so it'd be best to install tubes in them before you start testing.But, I think you could survive such testing, as long as you were careful.
A fun first part of the feasibility study would be dropping by Norton Sales in North Hollywood, CA. They carry aerospace surplus....http://www.nortonsalesinc.com/...