[ExI] darpa's notion of using a retrofitted fighter jet to launch payloads

[Mike Dougherty]

On Feb 11, 2015 1:48 AM, "spike" <spike66 at att.net> wrote:
> Like everything in control theory, it seems like systems do the opposite
of what you would think.  Nozzle forward seems stable to me: center of
thrust way forward of the center of mass and center of pressure.  That
looks to me like it would fly straight, but it doesn’t.  Nearly everyone
here as seen and played with toy rockets.  For some odd reason those things
do fly straight, with the center of thrust well aft of the center of
gravity.

Having seen the video of the weather balloon launched iPhone, I am curious
if there is any application for balloons to reach upper atmosphere.

Given some of the new aerogel materials there might be new designs possible
- you know,  every few decades reexamine old ideas that weren't possible to
see if they can work now. :)
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