From: henry@spsystems.net   
      
   In article <1122310061.775049.211830@g49g2000cwa.googlegroups.com>,   
   christopher.secord@gmail.com  wrote:   
   >Another idea, that I don't know enough about to speak to, is to drop   
   >down into the atmosphere and then pitch up so that you fly out of the   
   >atmosphere like a rock skipping on a pond.  You're still on a sub   
   >orbital trajectory though, you don't fly off into space, you come back   
   >down into the atmosphere and repeat the process.   
      
   Skipping doesn't really help with the fundamental problem, that there   
   isn't *enough* aerodynamic lift available to stay up in the thin air where   
   deceleration is gradual.  Sure, the heating is concentrated in brief   
   periods, but so is the lift -- there is no net gain.   
   --   
   "Think outside the box -- the box isn't our friend."    |   Henry Spencer   
                                   -- George Herbert       | henry@spsystems.net   
      
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