[extropy-chat] balloon stations at the edge of space

J Corbally jcorb at irishbroadband.net
Mon May 24 17:47:21 UTC 2004


>Message: 5
>Date: Sun, 23 May 2004 14:14:42 -0700
>From: "Reason" <reason at longevitymeme.org>
>Subject: RE: [extropy-chat] balloon stations at the edge of space
>To: "ExI chat list" <extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org>
>Message-ID: <FCEDLEKFOENAIDKOGMNNKELIEJAA.reason at longevitymeme.org>
>Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: extropy-chat-bounces at lists.extropy.org
> > [mailto:extropy-chat-bounces at lists.extropy.org]On Behalf Of Mike Lorrey
> > Sent: Sunday, May 23, 2004 1:48 PM
> > To: ExI chat list
> > Subject: Re: [extropy-chat] balloon stations at the edge of space
> > --- Damien Broderick <thespike at satx.rr.com> wrote:
> > > http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5025388/
> > >
> >
> > An extremely interesting story. Reminds me of the part of Heinlein's
> > "The Number of the Beast when the Burroughs visited a universe where
> > Mars was colonized by Victorian-British and Russians who attained space
> > travel via balloons....
>I was thinking that this technology will enable for a viable new frontier.
>If it pans out, there's nothing stopping small self-organized groups from
>bringing up soil, plants, etc and putting entire cities thirty miles up over
>international waters, built one piece at a time. A come-as-you-are sort of
>affair, very enabling for libertarians if the price point for hoisting a
>moderate self-sufficient living unit falls low enough.

Sort of like a freedom flotilla in the sky.  Very poetic.  I'm guessing 
there's still near enough sea level gravity at that height?  What about 
weight restrictions and other such challenges?

Reminds me of the Flash Gordon floating city concept (or the Nox of 
Stargate SG-1)


James...

>Reason
>Founder, Longevity Meme
>
>
>------------------------------






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