The problem with space travel is weight. Did you know that the majority of the weight in any NASA shuttle launch is in rocket fuel? It happens to also be the primary money sink for the space program. It would cost you tens of thousands of dollars in rocket fuel to put a 2 liter bottle of cola in space.
What I am going to propose is a new idea that has old roots. The concept of a Vacuum Balloon is, in fact, extremely old (as far back as 1670C.E.). It could never be implemented because no material can be both light enough to float AND withstand the suction force of a vacuum without losing its displacement (size). Current Helium/Hydrogen balloons can go up to 30km, for relatively little expense (I believe there is even a DIY kit for around 300 USD). They can go no further because of several factors, primarily that the pressure outside the balloon is almost 1/100th what it is on sea level, causing the balloon to expand and burst. So what I propose is a launch system of a vacuum balloon that will be piggybacking off a helium balloon.
By inserting a small/medium sponge inside a balloon that has been vacuum sealed (presumably the balloon will have custom or commercial material composite fabric) and then attaching this balloon to a helium balloon, the prototype can reach an altitude of at least 30km, which contains 1/100th the external pressure at sea level. The prototype, while looking like a shirvelled grape/orange at sea level will undergoe a dramatic change. The sponge inside the prototype will expand due to lower external pressure, and push the area of the prototype out. As it expands, it will displace more and more volume, making it increasingly lighter and lighter. The result is (hopefully) an innovative and extremely cheap way to launch micro-satellites into geo-sync orbit by use of a 2 stage lighter-than-air method.
http://science.howstuffworks.com/scienc ... ion194.htm
http://www.scientificsales.com/SearchRe ... 2godvDshow
It would boil down to; Is the elastic force of the sponge stronger than 1/100th seal level pressure? If yes, the prototype need only be able to expand enough to displace the wieght of the sponge itself to float.
To test this theory one would need relatively cheap materials. A vacuum chamber (to simulate conditions at 30km up) and a prototype (a vacuum sealed balloon with elastics or a sponge inside) are all the materials necessary.
I would love comments/feedback/hypothesis
