Reimagining Space Tourism, Space Travel, and Space Launches
Table of Content
Introduction
Titans Space Industries specializes in next-generation space travel infrastructure and space industrialization.
Before proceeding, please read the recently published analysis by TSI's Principal Founder & CEO, Neal S. Lachman.
The Rocket Launch Vehicle Systems in use today are inherently limited in terms of efficiencies and pose severe shortcomings and risks. Furthermore, improvements in rocketry will remain limited for the foreseeable future, and as such space travel, space exploration, and space commercialization remains a near-impossible feat for most of humanity for decades to come.
Commerce in space, including space tourism, as well as scientific missions, let alone industrialization, will remain restricted to the frequencies and efficiencies that rocket systems and technologies would allow.
This is where TSI brings about a true paradigm shift.
Recently, TSI concluded its multi-year effort to plan the construction of orbital rings and space elevators - fixed infrastructure in ultra-low Earth orbit that enables virtually unlimited transportation of humans and cargo. This will revolutionize space travel, space exploration, and space commerce.
TSI's space infrastructure will eventually encompass three separate, fixed low-orbit systems:
LEO OrbitalLoop
Lunar OrbitalLoop
Mars OrbitalLoop
Each OrbitalLoop system consists of so-called orbital rings (first mentioned by Nikolas Tesla, and inspired, among others, by the plans envisioned by Dr. Paul Birch and futurist Isaac Arthur, and relatively short low-orbit (100 km high) space elevators - instead of ~40,000 kilometers in geosynchronous orbit as is the case with Earth-bound space elevators proposed by other organizations.
A true revolution: Safer, more efficient, and cheaper than rockets
Using orbital rings and spaceships instead of rockets dramatically increases efficiencies and possibilities of space travel, space exploration, and space commercialization.
Today, there is not enough market demand for orbital rings, simply because there is not much to do in space - as of yet.
TSI has unique, literal "moonshots" at the heart of its objectives: massive disruptive space projects that enable the company to generate revenues of US$1 trillion or more. This would include the commoditizing of precious metals mined on the Moon for use in space as well as on Earth, large-scale space tourism, terawatts of clean energy in the form of OrbitalLoop-based space solar power systems for Earth's consumption, and many more novel opportunities.
TSI's End to End infrastructure: From our own Spaceport on Earth to our own colony on the Moon
The LEO OrbitalLoop system will initially consist of one single (partial) equatorial orbital ring at 100 kilometers altitude, and several space elevators that will rise from Earth’s surface (usually ocean sites) to 100 km altitude where they connect with the OrbitalLoop.
The first parts of the initial LEO OrbitalLoop will be assembled in space when the Titans Spaceplane or nuclear propelled spaceship will become operational, expected in 2027.
These spacecraft and TSI's robotics and automation assets will make in-space construction possible beyond what we can imagine today.
The Titans LEO OrbitalPort (a large space station) is equally crucial for the construction of the LEO OrbitalLoop system.
A Multi-Phased Approach: R&D, Planning, and Construction
The world's largest construction project is obviously something that needs careful planning. We are aware of Murphy's Law.
R&D, planning, and construction of the Earth OrbitalLoop system, ultimately existing of four OrbitalLoops and numerous space elevators, is planned in several phases:
Phase 1: through 2023
Through 2023, TSI will continue investing heavily in R&D, testing, preparations, and asset creation with the finalized objectives of the company, the Titans Astronauts (part of the Titans Space Society), and third parties as its guiding principles.
The Titans Space Society will work closely with Titania Space Agency, the official NASA-inspired space institution organized by and for Titania Oceana and Titania Lunar, to work with other space agencies on international space development.
Phase 2
Through 2028, the entire core and the initial parts of the first two LEO OrbitalLoop systems will be (partly) constructed.
Phase 3
Through 2032, final parts of the first two LEO OrbitalLoop systems, the initial parts of the last two LEO OrbitalLoop systems, and the intial parts of the Lunar Polar OrbitalLoop will be constructed.
Phase 4
Through 2035, the final parts of the last two LEO OrbitalLoop systems, the complete first parts of the Lunar Polar OrbitalLoop (for Earth-Moon-Earth spaceship routes) will be constructed.
Phase 5
Through 2040, all Earth, Moon, and Mars OrbitalLoop systems should be operational.
The OrbitalLoop MagLev COMET
The Hyperloop, proposed by Elon Musk, was marred with major problems from its conception, because like with rockets, a Hyperloop system would need to deal with Earth’s atmosphere. The only way to reach really high speeds on Earth is when you can cancel out air drag and resistance, which is why they came up with the idea of vacuum tube/tunnel infrastructure.
However, building a multi-ten kilometers vacuum tunnel is practically impossible in terms of evacuation and keeping it vacuum. It’s most likely never going to happen on planet Earth.
Due to its inherent characteristics (stationed at 100 kilometers altitude), the OrbitalLoop systems reach high over nations, oceans, and mountains, ultimately covering and servicing a substantial part of the world’s population, yet only connecting physically to partner-cities and nations with anchored space elevators.
Most expenses that we'd incur on Earth, such as land acquisition, Right-of-Way, tunneling, submarine cabling, trenching and so on, don't play a part in the OrbitalLoop project. As such, infrastructure costs can be spread out over the network, where some sections may cost tens of millions of dollars per kilometer while the majority of the network cost much less, mainly spent on track, material, technology and rolling stock.
Another major cost-saving fact is that we operate in the vacuum of space. As such, we don’t need to worry about impossible vacuum tubes in order to achieve hypersonic speeds.
Out of great respect for the aerospace industry and brilliant engineering accomplishments of the late 20th century, and with a nod to the somewhat comparable aerodynamic principles, as well as the fact that the OrbitalLoop is operating in space, the TSI team thought that the name “Comet” would be most appropriate for the Magnetic Levitation trains that will run on the OrbitalLoop.
Comet stands for Concorde on MagLev Express Track, our (pressurized) ultra-fast mobile vehicles that will operate on the OrbitalLoop system. The Comets will have a capacity of 20-50 passengers, each, and will have wider bodies than the Concorde to ensure greater comfort and space for passengers.
Compared to regular trains, OrbitalLoop Comets have longer lifecycles, lower operating costs, higher efficiency, are Environmental friendlier (cleaner and quieter), and capable of developing much higher speeds.
Since the OrbitalLoop operates in the (near-perfect)vacuum of space, there is no need for vacuum tubes in order to achieve ultra-high speeds. OrbitalLoop structures, where humans interact, will be pressurized, like the Comets.
Point to Point journeys on the LEO OrbitalLoop will eventually include:
1. Global journeys of > 1,000 miles
2. International journeys of 500-1,000 miles
3. Regional journeys of 20-500 miles
The point-to-point capabilities, and the fact that the OrbitalLoop also functions as a space launch track, makes OrbitalLoop systems also the perfect solution for traveling to and from the Moon and Mars.