How many years John

Back to Armadillo Aerospace - I think the reason that they're doing suborbital is that it makes economic sense. If you go straight to orbit, then you have to spend alot of money building an orbital vehicle, and then more money making sure you don't lose all that in the first try. Look at Space X- it took them lots of money, and 4 tries, to go directly to orbit. And that's using a far less complicated technique than Armadillo (no vtvl). By doing space in stages, Armandillo gets to make most of their mistakes on smaller, cheaper vehicles, which are then scalable to orbital vehicles. It's not that they can't, it's just that it's cheaper.

Hey Dan- How would you like to join the flat earth society, a part of the nonconformists league. You don't have to have any money (although I will accept donations) just a sense of humor. You can have any title you can make up- How about Genius-at-large? By the way, I'm also a genius, so I understand getting misunderstood. I am even part of mensa. Unfortuanately, mensa Israel doesn't seem to have much going on. I guess it's hard to recruit when everyone in the country is a genius. However, it does help things if you approach other people with a little bit of -how do they call it- humility.
All the best,
Yehoshua

Also, by going the sub-orbital route, they maintain their iterative approach to rocket design. Any single stage to 100 miles altitude vehicle would be a fine first stage to an orbital launch. I like the idea of a stack of (relatively) cheap mods that lift the stack some height, detach, land themselves ready for refueling with the last mod doing an OMs burn into a stable orbit. So what if there are 10 mods in the starting stack and the first detaches at 100 meters. You are only (ok, mostly) paying for fuel. If you can get the cost to orbit 80% fuel cost, you have a real winner.

No no- don't let this thread die- it's too entertaining. And that's the whole point of space flight -entertainment (in the broader sense)

Yeah, also that.

I like that response.
BTW, what is the proper term of address for the 1st Grand Wizard and Head Mucky Muck of the Flat Earth Society? Your Muckiness?

Is Head Schlemiel taken yet?

Your Head Mucky Muckiness to you

Let me check . . . No, Head Schlemiel has not be taken! Also if we're speaking in yiddish, maybe you'de rather "der Gantze Schlemiel". Tell me what you want and I'll put you in the rolls.

Iwas suggesting it for Dan rather than "Genius-at-large". For myself, I would prefer "Shmendrik the Great"

Supershuki, hehe I like the arrogance and indeed the chosen people do seem to be the smartest on average of any people on the planet. but if you really were smart, you wouldn't so readily forget God and how he told you that you are a stubborn people and how he cleaned your chronometers on many occasions. even today you have not learned from your past and headed for the same fall again and this time might be the one that counts. Israel has no problems when it is with God. As the force is strong with me I am acutely aware of Israel and I am not pleased with what I see.

Were you a genius you would also be able to remember that I have stated many times that I propose a minimum weight orbital payload so the rocket can be very small and not have to spend the money Spacex did. indeed the vehicle would be comparable in size to the ones AA fly now. And with all due respect to the rocket technology of AA, Spacex' is a significantly more advanced vehicle, not just in size. They might well be able to do a level 2 vtol walk with theirs, they are just a bit more goal oriented than bouncing on the earth for a decade or two.
Spacex claims Isp above 300 which if true is very impressive afaik. Last I checked albeit several moons ago, AA was messing around in the 160 area iirc. That's a massive difference. I believe John has the abilities required to close that gap or even exceed spacex but he needs spirit to go for it. so far he's holding back, perhaps understandably distracted by computer game development. If he never wants to be really serious about rocketry I can understand and that is his choice but I would hope that he could at least be honest with himself about it.

But you can become a genius Yehoshua if you choose to. if you find the rock to stand on so you can't be moved by the fickle winds. Interesting name you have there btw. (if it is your name)

pfrit, pipe down with the meshugas

AA has a Methane engine capable of ISP's higher than anything Space X has.

Space X has high development costs due to their usage of turbomachinery in their rocket engines. Their current rocket will not cut costs drastically, only marginally.

AA is developing the technology and approach that may make space access a magnitude cheaper, even for large objects.

I suggest you read 'The Rocket Company' by Patrick J. G. Stiennon & David M. Hoerr to understand AA's approach to orbital flight.

idiom, and what specific Isp value would that be? and what's your source?

I thought we were avoiding specifics Dan?

How exactly have we messed up? By not accepting Christianity?
I think that the proof that God is still with us is the return to zion, the founding of the State, and the fruition of the land where there was for millenia swamps and desert.
I am a genius if you define genius as raw intelligence. I am not a rocket genius if you mean the ability to have and use knowledge effictively. I think I am a genius regarding poetry according to both definitions. In any case, what does it matter if someone is a genius or not? Isn't it more important whether that someone is correct? Being intelligent doesn't necessarily mean you're more right than a stupid person. Perhaps it means you are more likely to be correct, but that's as far as it goes.