Replies to post #6354 on World Surveillance Group Inc (fka WSGI)

[WayHaw]

...but how's this for a crazy thought...long distance aircraft can't carry all the fuel they need and in the case of military aircraft they've mastered in-flight refueling. Sending up a supply ship with nothing but water tanks might be feasible at some point. Look out below if something goes wrong with the transfer though.

WayHaw

[No Fear No Greed]

From MSN:

"Water vapor amounts in the stratosphere are much lower, typically on the order of 4 to 6 parts per million by volume (0.004 to 0.006 %). Yet even this water vapor plays a significant role in the energy budget of the atmosphere. Water vapor is radiatively active, absorbing and reradiating the thermal (or infrared) energy from the surface. It also plays a key role in the formation of particles in the stratosphere, such as aerosols and at very low temperatures, special types of clouds known as polar stratospheric clouds."

IMO, not much would be needed to produce enough hydrogen to slowly and steadily replace lost lifting gas over an 18-month extended flight. Whether "not much" is enough would seem to be an open question.

Barring hydrogen generation, and given the alternate source for batteries already confirmed by Sanswire, what other reason might Proton have had for attending the summit? Could fuel cells provide a possible alternative or addition to batteries for stored solar-generated electricity down the road?