Oooh, space station

[Troll]

we might get the British Space Programme off the ground yet. Not far off the ground maybe.

Already did space in the Prospero program leaving us the only nation to have willingly dropped out of the space club

However the Skylon programme has been kicking around as a concept for decades and seems to make sense which may get us back in

[TimberWolf]

I meant using modern composites for the pressure vessel instead of an old coke bottle.

Yeah, something with a high tensile strength. Not convinced that using a higher density reaction mass would also help, but the Wiki says it does.


Multistage water rocket with de Laval nozzle and duct tape. What a beauty.

With the plastic replaced by carbon nanotubes we might get the British Space Programme off the ground yet. Not far off the ground maybe. Setting fire to some Lego bricks would boost efficiency considerably.

[Doggy Styles]

BBC News - Rocket launches Chinese space lab

Looks like the Chinese are coming on in leaps and bounds.

More like shuffles. It's taken them long enough. Is it powered by coloured gunpowder?

[doodab]

<cough>
Hydrogen Peroxide...
</cough>

I meant using modern composites for the pressure vessel instead of an old coke bottle.

[Churchill]

I suspect that with modern materials much higher pressures could be achieved. Probably not enough to reach orbit though perhaps could be used as a booster?

<cough>
Hydrogen Peroxide...
</cough>

[doodab]

I think you meant LEGO. No indications this space station is built from LEGO. Would be a daft move considering the extortionate prices per brick.

I'm getting one of those 3D printers to print my own bootLEGO. There may be life in the UK's space programme yet.

Just need to sort out the engine design. I'm thinking one of them water rockets. The scale version I had as a kid used to clear my parent's house easily, so a full sized one should get into space easily.

I suspect that with modern materials much higher pressures could be achieved. Probably not enough to reach orbit though perhaps could be used as a booster?

[Churchill]

The last UK rocket was powered by steam.

So was Evel Kneivel's attempt to jump across the Snake River Canyon.

[PAH]

LEO has been done to death already.

I think you meant LEGO. No indications this space station is built from LEGO. Would be a daft move considering the extortionate prices per brick.

I'm getting one of those 3D printers to print my own bootLEGO. There may be life in the UK's space programme yet.

Just need to sort out the engine design. I'm thinking one of them water rockets. The scale version I had as a kid used to clear my parent's house easily, so a full sized one should get into space easily.

[TimberWolf]

LEO has been done to death already.

[AtW]

Much cleverer, they managed to make it four times smaller than the US-CIS one!

Aye.

In communist countries they don't need luxuries like lots of food, in doors toilet, stereo system etc etc.

[Paddy]

BBC News - Rocket launches Chinese space lab

Looks like the Chinese are coming on in leaps and bounds.

Much cleverer, they managed to make it four times smaller than the US-CIS one!

[doodab]

BBC News - Rocket launches Chinese space lab

Looks like the Chinese are coming on in leaps and bounds.