> JP Aerospace - America's Other space program
> 
> These guys are not as flashy as Bert Rutan, but they are putting platforms 17 to 35 miles up, and have plans for a permanent base up there.  They are building several really large high altitude ballon craft, and run lots of experiments with payloads hoisted by multiple weather ballons.  Any schoolkid can launch a ping-pong ball sized experiment on their craft for free, they've launched thousands of these.  They have a plan to launch orbital platforms, within 7 years.
> 
> Re-entry for a balloon, as you may realize, is a non-problem, simply pump a little helium into your tanks and gently float down.  Heat shield?  We don't need no stinkin heat shield!
> 
> http://www.jpaerospace.com/

This I think requires some discussion.  I'd like some input from the others
on the list with more knowledge and intuition than I yet have...

Does anyone have any energy/money cost savings estimates for launch
from an balloon platform 30+ km up?  I'd imagine it would be signficant,
since drag increases as the cube(?) of speed, and rockets tend to be
quite fast even in the thick lower atmosphere.

The question I have is can an airborne platform offer the same stability a
land (or sea) based platform does?  As I understand it, orbital rendezvous
(trips to the ISS) requires pretty good timing and placement, as does
getting anything where you want it to be.

Mike H.
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