From The Space Library
Have you ever wondered how high a balloon can fly? Well,
John Powell wanted answers, so he built what could well be the highest flying balloon ever. If "JP" has his way, one day he'll be flying you and your friends all the way to Earth orbit aboard one of his gigantic airships. If you want to know how to get to orbit cheaply, try John Powell's solution... From the Space Shuttle, to Soyuz, to Spaceship One, riding the explosion at the bottom of a rocket has historically been the only path to space. Is there another way? Floating to Space in an overview of the new technology of space-bound airships. What, the Goodyear blimp goes to Mars? Yes! The technology called ATO, "Airship To Orbit" is being developed right now. Hypersonic airships and cities floating at the edge of space are all part of this seemingly impossible idea. Beyond describing the concept, this book shows the amazing adventure of those who are building these giant craft and throwing them into the sky. Not just a fantasy, Floating to Space shows photographs and details from the nearly one hundred development flights conducted so far. Included are descriptions of the environment where these craft fly at the edge of space. New findings such as life twenty miles up and mile high plasma volcanoes are introduced for the first time outside of scientific journals. This book will show you how ATO is to be accomplished from a project and economic prospective. It also details the progress so far and lays out a blueprint of what's to come. Floating to Space - Opportunities in the Untapped Skies will challenge you to consider what is possible. "...this book is a lively and optimistic look towards that uncertain future." satellite-evolution.com "Floating to Space is charming and its optimism is infectious." BBC Sky At Night "Optimism exudes from the pages as do technical triumphs." Universe Today "Lays out a blueprint of what the future holds." Launch magazine "Challenging the reader to consider what is possible, this book reveals an entirely new concept for getting into space." News & Notes, NASA History Division Office of External Relations
