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

[Damien Broderick]

At 01:41 PM 5/26/2004 -0400, John K Clark wrote:

>How about using a conventional balloon to get up to 150,000 feet or so and
>then start your vacuum pump to get rid of the air in the vacuum balloon. It
>wouldn't have to be nearly as strong or heavy as one launched at sea level.

I love the wonderfully mid-19th century Jules Verne tenor of this whole 
thread. Multi-stage balloons! Balloon-supported launch systems! To the Moon 
by Balloon!

Damien Broderick