Comments on: A look at World View, one of two balloon companies about to offer high altitude tourist flights

By: pzatchok

pzatchok — Mon, 06 Jun 2022 20:00:07 +0000

Jeff

So far no rocket has been launched to orbit from a balloon.

And considering the simplicity of the design and low cost you would think that someone someplace would just do it.

I just do not think that orbital speeds could be reached. At least not high enough to place a satellite into orbit for more than a week.

By: Blair Ivey

Blair Ivey — Mon, 06 Jun 2022 06:59:13 +0000

Curious if you could negotiate a discount if one of the first few passengers. It’s not proven, and you are a test article.

By: Jeff Wright

Jeff Wright — Sat, 04 Jun 2022 23:06:51 +0000

Rockoons are not new.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rockoon

I want airships
https://lynceans.org/all-posts/modern-airships-part-1/

https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/threads/airships.14564/#post-534886

By: pzatchok

pzatchok — Sat, 04 Jun 2022 19:33:28 +0000

Could an orbital rocket be launched this way?

By: pawn

pawn — Sat, 04 Jun 2022 14:40:30 +0000

There is also a serious helium shortage going on right now. Seems a couple of government agencies got into a pissing contest and the result is a supply chain disruption that has reduced domestic helium supply by 75% and doubled the price. Things aren’t expected to get back to normal till next year.

I think the Florida outfit is planning on using hydrogen.

By: wayne

wayne — Sat, 04 Jun 2022 13:40:16 +0000

Steve / t-dub–
Helium is extracted from natural gas. It initially comes off mixed with nitrogen and then extracted separately.
A cursory search on pricing– $300-600/ Mcf. (So, it’s like’ 100X’s more expensive than natural gas.) It was roughly $125 / Mcf just a few years ago.
Apparently, the United States maintained a massive stockpile of reserve helium in Texas, but the Feds started selling that off in 2013 and it’s essentially ’empty’ now, “all remaining stocks are restricted to Federal users.”

By: Realist

Realist — Sat, 04 Jun 2022 06:14:55 +0000

George C.:

I think the weight of the compressor (including the electric batteries that power it) for the recompression of the huge volume of helium for reuse you are requesting is so great that the balloon will not even lift off in first place .

By: t-dub

t-dub — Sat, 04 Jun 2022 03:35:41 +0000

I realize in the past helium has been a “rare” commodity, but in this day and age I think we can handle the demand, whatever that may be.

By: George C.

George C. — Sat, 04 Jun 2022 01:23:44 +0000

Couldn’t they compress the helium for descent? Suck it out of the balloon and put it back in tanks?

By: wayne

wayne — Sat, 04 Jun 2022 00:48:30 +0000

Steve–
If I recall correctly, most all helium is extracted from natural gas.

By: Steve Golson

Steve Golson — Fri, 03 Jun 2022 23:20:20 +0000

Reusable, eh?

What about the helium? That’s not reusable. Does Worldview have any projections about rates of global production and use of helium?

By: t-dub

t-dub — Fri, 03 Jun 2022 18:47:49 +0000

I’m putting one of these Worldview balloon flights on my bucket list. I think the Grand Canyon would be great since I’ve never been to see it and getting to the launch site wouldn’t be too difficult since I live in the PNW. $50k is a lot of $$$ for me, however, I feel the experience would be worth it. It was great to hear you on The Space Show speaking about this.