I don't expect the imminent patter of tiny feet in the Stross household. Not unless there's KITTENZ!
]]>Lionel has more than once been a guest at the Discworld Convention - he's a genuinely entertaining person.
]]>I note that the rarest item I have - the hardback first edition of Terry Pratchett's Carpet People - is out there for a mere £200.
(A nice markup over the tenner I spent though.)
]]>There's this pencil manuscript I have here I've just found under the bed (I think our late cats may have been using it as a bed) and I was hoping to have you read it over Easter. See, I'd like a blurb from you before I self-publish it at the end of next month.
]]>Let's assume $125M for a Falcon Heavy launch (that's the top end of their price range). And a 53,000 kg payload. That's $2358 per kg.
Figures as quoted by SpaceX.
How much payload capacity you need per passenger is another matter - I'd go for a multiple of the passenger's weight - but it's nothing like your figures.
]]>I'll just also note that Pratchett has done collaborations of one form or another with a number of people.
]]>The problem for them is that modern life is full of change.
]]>(Though as with any sauce made curry, you'll not get the full effect of marination.)
]]>(No, wait, there was one a day or two ago where I couldn't decide, but it got moderated out.)
]]>Alden Pursifull @110
]]>Which may be why Stross mentioned it as an example.
]]>To get enough lift to glide, the glider will have to go much, much faster. I'm going to guess from first principles (not knowing the relevant equations) that we need to be landing at 6 times the speed the shuttle does.
The shuttle touches down at ~350 km/h.
It uses a 4.5 km runway.
And unless you want to ground loop, you're going to have to find somewhere almost tarmac smooth - I don't think Spirit or Opportunity spotted anywhere like that (though they were targetted at interesting sites, which smooth ground wouldn't be). I don't think the Bonneville Salt Flats would be long enough.
]]>