4 ms·
Think about atmospheric pressure, it is 14.7 PSI at the ground so your envelope has to be extremely strong to hold that pressure differential if you want to use
by rtkwe 3y ago
Think about atmospheric pressure, it is 14.7 PSI at the ground so your envelope has to be extremely strong to hold that pressure differential if you want to use vacuum instead of filling it with a lighter gas. Helium is only 0.1786 g/L at STP. So unless you're saving more weight than that over your entire envelope it's better to just fill it with a gas and have a significantly lighter lifting envelope.
- JumpCrisscross 3y agoThe key is to realise the gas is exerting force against the atmosphere through the lining. It isn’t dead weight, it’s doing work.
- plasticchris 3y agoSure, at ground level. If instead we make these in orbit and drop them slowly…
- rtkwe 3y agoThe lower the pressure the less difference between the outside and inside so less buoyancy.