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Community Forum · Est. 2006
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#1
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09-16-2010, 10:13 PM
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| My Rank: PRIVATE FIRST CLASS Poster Rank:4360 male Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 68 Mentioned: 0 Post(s) Quoted: 7 Post(s)
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Scientists Hope to Lead the Space Race After Inventing a Revolutionary Spaceplane
17 sep ,2010 Unlike NASA's Shuttle, Skylon can take off from an airport runway, fly into orbit then land again - and even carry TOURISTS. The new UK Space Agency is hosting a two-day workshop next week to look into developing it commercially. The 270ft-long craft can be turned round for a new flight in hours and will slash the cost of space travel. Skylon has no external rocket tanks and works thanks to an engine discovery on a par with Frank Whittle's jet. Two engines suck hydrogen and oxygen from the atmosphere to fire it 18 miles up at over five times the speed of sound. The engines then use oxygen from tanks to accelerate the ship into outer space. Skylon could replace the Shuttle to carry cargo and astronauts to the International Space Station. It could even be used as a launch vehicle for a manned mission to Mars. Oxfordshire-based maker Reaction Engines estimates there will be global demand for up to 90 of the pilotless Skylons, for around £700million each. Creating a spaceplane is a challenge that defeated NASA. Developing Skylon is estimated to cost £7.5billion - the same as an Airbus jet. But a launch into space will be £6.5million, compared to £97million for a rocket. It will take up to 24 passengers and is tipped to be flying by 2020. Creator Alan Bond said: "No other technology we know of is nearly as good."  ·  ·  · |
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#2
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09-17-2010, 04:07 PM
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 My Rank: STAFF SERGEANT Poster Rank:754 Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 1,072 Mentioned: 1 Post(s) Quoted: 63 Post(s)
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Re: Scientists Hope to Lead the Space Race After Inventing a Revolutionary Spaceplane
"Skylon can"....ummm what? its a concept...I hate statements like that....it cant do shit right now cause it doesn't exist...
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#3
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09-17-2010, 06:13 PM
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| My Rank: PRIVATE FIRST CLASS Poster Rank:4360 male Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 68 Mentioned: 0 Post(s) Quoted: 7 Post(s)
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Re: Scientists Hope to Lead the Space Race After Inventing a Revolutionary Spaceplane
you make a good point ,in the past there have been many scientists that claim to be on the freshhold ,of space travel or some new way of travel ,but me personal ,i reckon in the next 25 years we will be in space ,not other planets or daft shit like that ,but at least the stratosphere ,space hotels maybe lol ,to me its a given ,but yeah good point mate
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#5
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09-20-2010, 04:59 PM
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| My Rank: STAFF SERGEANT Poster Rank:754 Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 1,072 Mentioned: 1 Post(s) Quoted: 63 Post(s)
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Re: Scientists Hope to Lead the Space Race After Inventing a Revolutionary Spaceplane
I expect that in the next 25 years space travel will be much improved...I know the US space program is shutting down for the most part for the next 10 years I think it is? Mostly because of budget cuts but also to get a new line of shuttles.
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