[cripplecreek]

In the followup book to Clarke's 2001 (3001) humanity had largely left the gravity well of earth behind. The people mostly lived in the ring around the planet at the top of the space elevators.

In spaceflight, big really is better but not for launch from the surface.

Daedalus next to a Saturn V

[Viking2002]

It'll never fly..........*BOOM*! LOL

"But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: for men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away, for his name is Obama."

[TheOldLady]

Hey, that Daedalus is really cool. They're planning on its traveling at 0.071 c, which is 47,541,600 MPH in its first stage, and then a boost to 0.12 c (80,352,000 MPH) for the cruise.

Once attaining 12% of light, it would take less than an hour for her to travel the equivalent of earth's distance from the sun.

Sigh. Talk about being born too early. Heck. I would have worked my tail off to get on that puppy for an interstellar mission.