People Who Did Some Things Needed To Trying A Space Flight.
The first group that I considered as possible was the British Interplanetary Society
One of the back ground books I used a reference was put out by the British Interplanetary Society. They have members world wide but most are from England. The book is very thorough coverage of the problems that one would face trying to live or travel in space. The problem for them seemed to be when every the British Interplanetary Society said they were working on a plan for a ship for space, it was something that was to large to be privately handled or would need governmental approval. British Interplanetary Society had at on time worked on a design where the ship was large enough to use small nuclear explosions to power its flight. British Interplanetary Society is technically very knowledgeable space travel though.
People at North American or Naca (later Nasa)
The my first drawing of a plane to fly into space had of course a pilot seat and behind it a small living area. The seat was to recline to give access to the living area. This area would grow in size after the plane got into space by tearing out the tanks that had been consumed. Later I will get a look at Stillwell's X-15 book. I looked closely at that little picture and then get a magnifying glass for a closer look. I will see the little room behind the pilots seat of the North American X-15. The seat must lay down or it must be removable there is no information on that part of the plane. It is were the equipment and instruments are house. The volume is greater than what the pilot area. I have found this picture recently that gives a better view of the whole plane X-15 Big Cutaway Who and how many at either North American or Nasa knew how much extra space was inside. One step lead often to another step simply because your calculation and thinking have to be adjusted. The North American X-15 was not anywhere near high enough in speed for orbit but what else could they be thinking. I had did work on a fuel system with 540 specific impulse that would have put the North American X-15 very close to orbit. It was a solid fuel system that would have left the more open space in the back. You have both North American and Nasa with a lot of people in the know about this subject. This will be the first of the surprise that are the reason I credit the North American X-15 with being part of my design.
Reaction Motors Inc. and American Rocket Society
The second came from the choice of fuels when I was working on an air breathing engine. I had worked on the idea of ammonia as a fuel for cars. No carbon present only one possible source of source of pollution. Hydrogen was being pushed for the same reason but ammonia is easier to store.
There is also no carbon build up with ammonia and other benefits, very important. But I will hit upon the idea that this could be the source of the nitrogen for living in space. Now I am back at the North American X-15 why were they and Nasa using ammonia as a fuel. Carbon build up on one use and check over it would not be that important. The XLR99 rocket engine was being designed before the North American X-15 was being designed, handy huh. The XLR99 throttleable from 30% to 100% with 57,000 lbs. of thrust that is quite an advance design and a radical fuel choice. Am I the only on thinking of a flight into space. Reaction Motors Inc. then comes into view for designing the engine ahead of a use. Reaction Motors Inc. had made the engine for the X-1. Only recently did I learn that Reaction Motors Inc. was form by four members of the American Rocket Society in 1941. Reaction Motors Inc. with four former members of the American Rocket Society will really get going in the later 1940s. What were these four guys from the American Rocket Society hoping before after and after they started Reaction motors. One is left to wonder if it was ever told to the employees at that time. Your bosses are former members of the American Rocket Society. Because that might cause to many questions at a Reaction Motors Inc. Truely, all of the American Rocket Society were interested but these four seemed like they may have been thinking of more a part of a real plan.
Bob L. Petersen
I am not poking fun at any of the above people to include:
North American, Reaction Motors, American Rocket Society, Wernher von Braun.
Bob Petersen
