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

[Adrian Tymes]

--- John K Clark <jonkc at att.net> wrote:
> "Mike Lorrey" <mlorrey at yahoo.com> Wrote:
> >Vacuum balloons, while a nice SF fantasy, are not
> physically practical
> 
> 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.

Once you're up to 150,000 feet or so, you might as
well just set up the horizontal launch mechanism
there.