From: bondage@frontiernet.net   
      
   BllFs6 wrote:   
   >   
   > Hi all..   
   >   
   > Here is an idea for water landings...   
   >   
   > Say the USA would really like to land near the  USAs coast in the Atlantic,   
   > Pacific, or  Gulf of Mexico.....but landing in that salty water just doesnt   
   > appeal to the engineers...   
   >   
   > You make giant version of one of those inflatable kiddy pools...you know the   
   > ones with the inflated rims that define and support the structure itself?...   
   >   
   > Put it in the ocean and fill it full of nice, clean fresh water.....of course   
   > you would like the rim to be high enough to keep out reasonable hieght   
   > waves...and if you wanna really be anal about keeping out small amounts salt   
   > water and salt spray cover the whole thing with an ulta thin plastic (like   
   the   
   > kind they make high altitude research ballons with) dome inflated to a few   
   > psi....   
   >   
   > Given active guidance upon decent I would think something on the order of   
   > hundred feet across would be plenty....   
   >   
   > And if things go bad you still have a whole ocean to land in without   
   > catastrophe...probably just an extended refurb and inspection cycle....   
   >   
   > Take care   
   >   
   > Blll   
      
      
      I would think the Great Lakes and Lake Okeechobee (or artificial   
   lakes created near launch sites) would be adequate, much of the time....   
      
      
   --   
      
      You know what to remove, to reply....   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)