Space Review article

Interesting article in the space review rspeck, although I'm not sure the accompanying picture makes me want to travel light.

One of the problems I think is that while technically I can accept what you say about it being possibly safer to travel to orbit in a spacesuit without a normal spacecraft around you I still feel the need for a separate barrier (no matter how flimsy and redundant it might be). Perception over logic I guess, a wall is a wall.

http://www.thespacereview.com/article/603/1

I wouldn’t want to ride to orbit in an open seat for the same reason that I
don’t like to ride motorcycles; no protection in an accident. Of course
others crave the excitement of motorcycle riding.

This idea is also at the heart of SpaceDev’s low cost return to the Moon,
where astronauts ride down to the surface and back in an open rocket
chair with nothing but their space suit for protection.
http://www.spacedev.com/newsite/templat ... hp?pid=543

This is similar to an early NASA idea for APOLLO
http://www.astronautix.com/craft/lmllight.htm

I referenced the GE Moose design for credibility, since theirs was a serious effort, which included “Plasma Tunnelâ€

G'day,

I read the article but am still sceptical. Has anyone gone higher then 20km in a partial pressure suit? Has there been any interest in such suits by sky divers? I know several sky divers would like to jump from a balloon from 40km to break the record.

ta

Ralph