Lo-tech moon shot

> From: "ER........" [email removed]
> Subject: Lo-tech moon shot

> Problem: 1-5 Individuals of tech 6-8 stranded on an earth type world at TL0,
> their only means of returning to civilisation is to get to the TL15 vessel on
> the planets moon.
>
> Question: Given time (assuming anagathics if nescessary) could a ship be
> built to get to the moon?

  What do you mean by TL0? TL0 covers everything from Joe Neandethal with his
trusty cudgel to the Roman Empire tech with concrete, siege machinery and
extremely crude steam engines.

  But I'm leaning towards not possible. No way in the Joe Neanderthal case
and probably no way in the Roman case.

  The main problem is materials tech. Is black powder good enough to reach
escape velocity? Is the metalwork TL high enough to make an air-tight ship?
How about the engine, will the materials hold together? Even if you get to
orbit with it and it is tight enough, is it possible to construct maneuvering
thrusters for orbital injections (main problem: igniting and shutting them
off).

  Do they have some higher-TL equipment like the wreakage of a small craft?
Then it might be possible to strap something together using the grav plates
from the craft powered by a steam-engine driven generator (possible at
Roman TL).

  Is there any relic tech just lying around?

  How big resources do they have? Pharao-level or peasant-level?

> PAVEWAY

- -bertil-
- --
"It can be shown that for any nutty theory, beyond-the-fringe political view or
 strange religion there exists a proponent on the Net. The proof is left as an
 exercise for your kill-file."