[ExI] Spacecraft (was MM)

[spike]

On Behalf Of Keith Henson
...

>...If it is too much trouble for the beam to hit the vehicle, then we know
the ideal location and velocity profile we need to put the vehicle in orbit.
Maybe we just sweep the beam without feedback and let the vehicle keep up
with it.  Given how fast hydrogen is moving through the vehicle's plumbing,
it should be fairly easy to acquire the beam and keep it in the right
spot...Keith

That's a really interesting notion Keith.  I have a hybrid notion of sorts:
we do single axis control using all ground-based drive lasers, and the other
axis of control is done by the spacecraft.  The idea of sweeping in only one
axis necessitates being on or very near the equator, so imagine one of those
equatorial mountains as a base.  We lift to 10k using solids or perhaps even
air breathing recoverable propulsion, then use a sweeping single axis
control (elevation only) on the ground firing due east, where the bird is
responsible for moving in the north-south axis to stay in the beam.  

Another way to do this is to have a variable roll rate on the bird, then
take advantage of asymmetric thrust of an ablative propulsion system to
steer itself into the beam.  I need to work on that idea some more.

Thanks Keith, this is an interesting idea.

spike