[quote]"reader1":/users/282029 said: We can get into orbit in less than half that time about 8 to 10 minutes. The Apollo 11 managed to do it in 12 minutes and that was 1969. [/quote] *Burn time. Mission time begins long before liftoff. Can't just step onto a rocket and be in orbit ten minutes later. Not even the space shuttles could just swoop down from orbit and then immediately take off again. Also, their space shuttle appears to have no boosters, implying it's not achieving orbit through sheer "Fuck Gravity" rocket power, but likely a combination of engine burn and the antigravity lift they mentioned last page. (Which also brings up the fact that none of these people are wearing flight suits of any kind. I imagine it's a hell of a lot more comfortable for the average person to take thirty minutes to breach atmo.) All that considered, thirty minutes for what is effectively a bus trip to space is a lot faster than the days/hours of mission prep time and admittedly much faster burn of a chemical rocket.

We can get into orbit in less than half that time about 8 to 10 minutes. The Apollo 11 managed to do it in 12 minutes and that was 1969.