Briggs Aerospace Technologies
 

 

Missions: J2000 HYT

With the advent of the HYT into service, commercial, private and government organisations will be able to better plan missions; designed for the payloads the J2000 can lift.

Interestingly, instead of missions falling off for the varied reasons which led to the reduced mission rate of the Space Shuttle Orbiter, J2000 missions would increase. This capability enhancement will occur as engineers get used to the J2000, and refine engineering services to suit.

The 15 J2000 HYTs will be leased to 3-5 different commercial airlines, in each region of the world. Though more than half of these craft will be built for extended operations, this will encourage competition, driving down prices.

The use of commercial airlines ensures the maximum amount of safety for operations, as government can act in a regulatory role, where it is more capable.  

Traditional roles

The J2000 HYTs will be used in all present roles currently undertaken by rockets, including deploying satellites, space station missions, as well as scientific experiments.

The scientific and commercial customers will be able to take advantage of the HYT’s leased operations to find the best price for their launch. J2000 will soon transcend the traditional missions, and create new mission targets for the entire space industry.

Construction

With its 110 tonne lift capability, fast turnaround times and available number, the J2000 will be used to build large structures in space.

With the leasing of the J2000 HYTs to commercial airlines, government organisations will regulate what structures can be built in what orbit, to control the construction. These standards would look at the available orbits, whether or not the new construction is viable for its operators, and factor in such information as to keep the facility clear of other orbital objects. The amount of facilities in Earth’s orbit must be limited, to prevent interference with satellites and departing HYT flights. Governments would charge a suitable application and development fee for every site built.

Due to the age of the current space station, it will need replacement within another decade. This is due to the fact it is a pressurised cell and thereby undergoing metal fatigue. Similarly, there are many satellites which are no longer functioning due to the deterioration of power cells, or its obsolescence. HYT can bring the space station and disused satellites back to Earth for recycling. This enables expensive materials to be reused, rather than have the operators send the defunct items into the ocean, or face being categorised as space-junk.  

The construction of new space stations and spacecraft would be supplied and sustained at low cost.

Extended Exploration

J2000 will be used for longer range missions, after having been replenished in orbit from cargo pods. These will use slightly modified HYTs which will be known as explorer versions.

These versions of HYT would be outfitted with specialised interiors in the payload bay, and use pods for food and water supplies, as well as back-up and emergency systems. The types will be used in the planetary defence role, as well as extended exploration of the solar system.  These will carry payloads and measuring equipment for medium term missions, to the more distant planets and moons.

Although the first missions will be to closer objects such as the Moon, and later Mars, to trial the equipment, advanced expeditions would last around 3-4 years. The basis of viability would be based upon nuclear submarine operations, which can last up to 6 months under the ocean without replenishment.

The capability of these missions will only be limited by the mission designers, as well as the operator’s budget, since the cargo pods will be able to land all types of large equipment and freight, for exploration, research or even colonisation efforts.

Extended operation HYTs will be part out-fitted in space, carrying probes, pods and other items externally when required, to provide internal room and comfort to astronauts. Supply pods deployed by other HYT missions into Earth orbit would also be fitted in space. Extended operation HYT’s can also tow large payloads of pods to the distant parts of the Solar System for mission use, for deployment, or, left at a specific location for the supply of future missions.

With the advent of HYT, designers can proceed with power plant development to sustain thrust and life for deep exploration vessels: presently there is no need of such engines, so they have not been developed or built. This paves the way for the manufacture of larger, faster exploratory space vehicles, most likely in orbit.

Planetary defence

Presently, there is no defence against a rouge asteroid on a collision course with Earth. An unstopped, large meteorite colliding with Earth could create severe damage or even destroy our planet.  

HYT offers a program of defence against such threats. Initially it is seen as using out-postings of several HYTs for early detection and defence against meteors and comets threatening Earth. This would later be replaced with satellites and standby crews.

The HYT’s would be explorer versions, using the comfortable interior and equipment, and outfitted with equipment both for long deployments and early detection gear. The crews would remain on station in at a specific distance from Earth in a role similar to today’s nuclear submarines: instead of patrolling against other humans, these missions can be patrolling to a less personal, universal threat.

HYT crews would test moving large asteroids with rocket packs to deal with larger asteroids. Initial training exercises for such missions by using the HYT fuselage as a simulated asteroid. Astronauts would space-walk to deploy the suitable sized rocket pack with enough power to change the asteroids course.

As tests prove successful, missions would upgrade to use two J2000’s, one acting as the interceptor, the other would be the asteroid. This would solve and refine interception techniques and problems of two objects moving at different velocities at exceptionally high speed.

Later missions would travel to the asteroid belt and move larger meteors with rocket packs to prove the viability of the rocket on larger objects; the role is more complex than it would be conceived by the general public, and needs extensive work to refine its services in this important role.

Deploying the co-developed Supply-pod

Part of the J2000 programme is the completion of an integral cargo pod capable to be transported internally by HYT and deployed into space.

This pod will carry a large variety of payloads, which can be used on the actual mission or left in space at a specific location for future flights or operations. The pod can store fuel, water, food or machinery. The design of the pods will enable easy docking with a simple girder frame from the sides and length-wise, enabling large storage ability, in a known place in orbit. HYTs will be able to transfer unused fuel into pods in orbit, or take fuel for extended operations.

Space missions require everything to sustain life be taken along, transported from Earth orbit to the Moon or Martian orbits, and left for future missions in a deposit zone.

Briggs has developed an unmanned re-supply landing pod delivering up to 15 tonnes of payload for deployments to build and supply colonies.  An offshoot of the cargo pod design, these craft will be able to deploy payloads on all the solar systems planets apart from Jupiter, including large unmanned exploration craft.

The landing pods will be developed within the HYT budget. Unmanned supply systems reduce hazards to astronauts and lower initial and ongoing spending requirements, reducing costs to investors and risk to life. When sufficient material is landed, people can establish a base, either a research lab or colony, with such pods used for resupply or even converted for accommodation facilities.

Colonisation

By using the landing and cargo pod combinations, J2000 HYTs can be used to establish colonies on the moon or Mars at low cost.

The type can economically carry enormous amounts of payload into space: with per kilo rates similar to long distance postage on Earth. With such low prices per kilo, users can afford to create more ambitious projects, due to increased revenues currently lost to high launch costs.

Use of the HYT will be limited to customers who have met environmental criteria prior to launch. This will be either through a government organisation or via Briggs if none is forthcoming.

These missions would take place by the use of the container pods, deployed prior to any colonisation takes place. The lander cargo pods would establish a supply base for the landing teams, prior to the first missions. The first supplies would be at the actual site, and once crews have established the site, the landing site for pods will be a safe distance fro the drop zone. Though some of the landing pods may be damaged or even destroyed on landing, these will be inventoried and resupplied on the next mission. The pods may be used for construction materials for the colony.

Long-term living facilities on other planets or moons must be made underground. The use of underground facilities has major benefits to the long term viability of the base. Underground chambers are much easier to pressurise, heat and are safe from radiation and large temperature changes, common in places without atmospheres. Underground facilities also use much less material. Landing supply pods will be able to take large boring and digging machinery to the site.

Colonies will be defined by a facility capable of housing more than 750 long term residents. The process will need definition as to who will be picked for the new planet.

Although in the past this would have been based purely upon elitism, it has been observed too many times that any one or several particular traits - while worthy - do not necessarily make a person capable of being the best for the role. An engineer would not be as suited to a social environment as an everyday person, for example. The process is expected to take people from all demographics and age groups.

 


 
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