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

[Johnius]

Hi all,

  This thread reminds me of an invention of Win Wenger's
that uses balloons to suspend a mass-driver for cheap
space launches.  It occurs to me that several of you might
have some great feedback about the idea...
What do y'all think?


  http://winwenger.com/launch.htm
  Space Launch Invention 

A safer, gentler, less-expensive launch system
which does not consume reaction mass
nor affect the ozone layer
by Win Wenger, Ph.D. 

[...]
The Invention-the new, inexpensive, safe, gentle,
suspended-track Space Launch System

* O'Neill's mass drive or other electric or electromagnetic-powered or
however-powered catapult system, extended as a very long track-a
reusable track system stably supported overtop most of the Earth's
atmosphere for hundreds of miles, long enough to give very gentle launches
and still build the requisite speeds;

* Supported by hydrogen (preferred) or helium (if required) or heated-air
(if the engineering and power supply and/or insulation parameters can be so
configured) balloons or air-buoyant enclosures;

* Tethered in triangular or geodesic-configured networks, to each other
and to the ground, maintained in alignment by laser-guided computers and
cable-tighteners.
[...]