[pp.int.general] File Sharing in Space, baloon fork.

[Erik Lönroth]

This is the continuation of the discussions about launching a "vessel"
of some sort.

The old subject was: "File Sharing in Space"

That thread has drifted somewhat, so I would like to fork it.

First of all, I love that alot of people are engaged in the discussion
and pushing in alot of "how" and "what" etc. BUT, since its way to
difficult for me at the present to coordinate and even to digest alot
of it, I have to stick with a reasonable plan that I can manage at
present. There has been alot of twists on this in the previous
discussion: "A boat", "A rocket", "A zeppeline" and I think that
Andrew Norton proposed a bunch of other stuff. All of those are
offcourse super-cool, but for me - all of them too difficult to manage
as a project. I am not competent enough for such a project yet as I
lack the knowledge about too many things about it. The future of this
project, version 2 if you like, might go further...

So:

My plan will be to launch a baloon with a simple file sharing site
into the air. Make it stay up there as long as possible and learn from
it. Grow the ambitions if it is possible to succeed with them.


THE PLAN
----------------
Basically - its a baloon as a first step.

A baloon with a "webserver"/"file sharing site" proposes some separate problems:

1. Make a baloon stay up "long" in the air. High enough to be
annoying, low enough to allow various "data traffic".
2. Define a MINIMUM of devices that needs to go up with it, that....
3. A) Can be powered by a "POWER SOURCE".
    B) Survives very cold climates and tough winds.
    C) Can't be "hacked".
    D) Provides a "pirate-like service" that can be accessed somehow
from ground level.
4. In best case - can be recovered.

All problems related to "formalities" (laws, regulations, licenses
etc.) are for now ignored since this is not even close to a practical
reality yet.

There was a reporter from Forbes that was interested in talking to me
about this project. So if anyone wants to say hello to media - this
your chance. Cheers Forbes, I hope you read this! Hope to talk to you
soon.

So - if you want to help out right away. I could use a wiki to be able
to discuss the various sub-problems and a emailing list that can be
used to discuss all of the topics that will arise.

In the future, a fund-raising page can be thought of. Getting money in
return for publicity to fund more fancy stuff in the future. Start
with a baloon - end up in space. Who knows.

/Erik