Freefall from the edge of space

[Ray4AJ]

Originally Posted by Azhiri

How inspiring is it that there truly is no limit to what we as humans can accomplish? This is crazy!

Originally Posted by Future Raptor Ace

Yep, and that is why we need more of this! Teach people to dream about the stars, not the Jersey Shore ... as for when dreaming of the stars the sky's the limit!

Indeed!

Originally Posted by Ray4AJ

Next I'd like to see someone get launched in a capsule into orbit, then exit the capsule and have the capsule move off. Then have the guy do one 'lap around the earth' in his suit, fire a little rocket to slow down and reenter, and then parachute to the ground. 17,000 MPH, 100 miles up, 90 minutes for the orbit. Fun stuff!

Originally Posted by Future Raptor Ace

That would be fantastic ... and amazing to see. The only problem is the poor soul who tries this would burn up upon reentry.

There's that can-do attitude! I consulted JPL sort of, via Xbox live chat this evening, and he concurred on your burn-up issue. But he suggested a disc similar to one of those old fashioned snow sledding saucers, that was made to handle the heat. It could be wielded like a knight for reentry and then discarded. (Look out below!) But getting oriented with it facing the right way could be difficult. So I mentioned just having a suit made that would handle the heat and he said to get some investors together. Lol.

[Future Raptor Ace]

Originally Posted by Ray4AJ

Indeed!





There's that can-do attitude! I consulted JPL sort of, via Xbox live chat this evening, and he concurred on your burn-up issue. But he suggested a disc similar to one of those old fashioned snow sledding saucers, that was made to handle the heat. It could be wielded like a knight for reentry and then discarded. (Look out below!) But getting oriented with it facing the right way could be difficult. So I mentioned just having a suit made that would handle the heat and he said to get some investors together. Lol.

LOL im sorry im a realist. You have someone going orbital velocity and then they have to be slowed down with immense deceleration due to frictional air resistance ... that creates a lot of heat!
What your friend its referring to is turning the man into blunt body to create a bow shock instead of an oblique shock. While this does relieve surface heating parallel to the air flow substantially it is not to the point where all you need is a front disk and you can be done with it.
Here's an image to show you what im talking about

But getting oriented with it facing the right way could be difficult.

There's that too lol. But that might be the easiest problem to fix, give him a few RCS thrusters and he should be fine at getting the correct telemetry and orientation .... though he would definitely need a lot of help from the ground station.

So I mentioned just having a suit made that would handle the heat and he said to get some investors together. Lol.

Ill tell you what, if you can come up with a suit that is light enough for someone to be able to wear and withstand that heat you will be a millionaire lol.