On Jul/4/2020 at 18:29, wrote :
Workable? Or just another flight of fancy?

"This airship flies from the upper atmospheric station to orbit. It uses hybrid chemical/electric propulsion to slowly accelerate and reach orbit.

"A two mile wide station parked at 140,000 feet is the new way station to space. The station acts not only as a port for the orbital airship but also as a research center, construction site and tourist destination."

See:

http://www.jpaerospace.com/atohandout.pdf

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zon...spaces-founder

I wouldn't dismiss this as fantasy. But I would like to see thermal
heating analysis and a few other things before saying it will work.
Flying at near orbital velocity for hours in an atmosphere thick enough
to give lift is tricky to say the least.


Alain Fournier