Seriously... the Space Elevator!

[DeepIron]

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/10/02/space.elevator/index.html

It's about friggin' time they got serious about this! :up::up::up:

[Wolfehunter]

What will happen if you get stuck in the elevator? :hmm:

With a Hot chick half way to the station? ;)

Oh the madness..:rotfl:

[longam]

This reminds me of reading those popular science magazines...

[Digital_Trucker]

And if the cable breaks halfway up?:p

[Wolfehunter]

And if the cable breaks halfway up?:pWhich way do you fall up or down? hmmmm:hmm: :damn: ;)

[Digital_Trucker]

And if the cable breaks halfway up?:pWhich way do you fall up or down? hmmmm:hmm: :damn: ;)
Good question:hmm: Maybe you don't fall? You just sit there waiting for the repair person:rotfl:

[Task Force]

I can see it now.

Person a: D** we just got stuck in the elevator, It cant take long for a repair man to get here.

Person b: I dont know about that, there slow enough in my three story apartment.

Three days later, both people are starting to go crazy from dehydration and hunger.

Person A: do you hear that!

Person B: yes I do I think its that repair man, It took him long enough!

Repar man: You mean I came up here for just this, Its just a spring.:lol:

[Wolfehunter]

good one TF.:up:

[SteamWake]

The whole logistics of the thing to me make it un likely.

It would have to be insanely fast or it would take months to reach the top.

[Task Force]

Exactly.:yep: This will never happen, Just think what would happen if a plane crashed in to it.:huh:

[silentrunner]

Looks like something that should be in a Douglas Adams book.

[DeepIron]

Actually, the space elevator concept is entirely viable. The biggest issue has been the lack of a material strong and light enough to span the distance. Now that nano carbon tube technology has taken root, it's only a matter of time... The physics to operate it are dirt simple, mass and centrifugal force... "the flywheel effect:...

As for aircraft crashes, I'm pretty sure there would be a "no fly zone" installed... ;)

[Task Force]

Terrorists dont care about no fly zones.:yep: Look at 9/11.;)

[CCIP]

We're not talking about a thin wire here however (more likely it would start with a single strand and later be built up into a large, bulky structure), and we're also talking the strongest material in the world (which is exactly what they're working on for it). An airplane crashing into it might destroy communications and disable the operation of the elevator for some time, but it wouldn't seriously damage the structure itself.

[Blacklight]

This is the company that's working on the project. I've been following them and their research for YEARS.
http://www.liftport.com/

[Task Force]

Ill let you all take a ride before me.;)

[Blacklight]

Task ForceExactly.:yep: This will never happen, Just think what would happen if a plane crashed in to it.:huh:

The first version of the space elevator will be retractable. They plan to reel out the cable from a station in the middle of the Pacific near the Equator. It will be pointed pretty much in the East direction as the rotation of the Earth will hold it up and help keep it stable. Once it's unreeled, they can send payloads up the cable into space and then just retract it so it won't be up all the time. It's not going to be permanently unreeled and reaching to space all the time.

[Task Force]

The real question is. Who would want to spend money to go up in a elevator to space? Would the cost realy be worth it.:-? I mean theres nothing to see in space, except. well space.

[CCIP]

The real question is. Who would want to spend money to go up in a elevator to space? Would the cost realy be worth it.:-? I mean theres nothing to see in space, except. well space.
Or alternatively, it would cut the cost of making orbit (the most expensive part of any space operation) many times over.

"Seeing" is not the important part. The space is full of potential for exploring resources, many of which are rare on earth - the problem is that it's just been too expensive to obtain them. And as the article linked in the first post suggests, even putting solar energy farms at the top of space elevators may be a very shrewd decision. Whatever the case, this has the potential of making space accessible without the need for extremely expensive, dangerous, polluting rockets.

Currently it costs over $5000 to get a kilogram of useful payload into Low Earth Orbit (and several times more than that to geostationary orbit, which is where this space elevator would be anchored). A space elevator would could one day cut that cost by hundreds of times.

[UnderseaLcpl]

Exactly.:yep: This will never happen, Just think what would happen if a plane crashed in to it.:huh:

I don't know about that. I think we will see a space elveator once space travel becomes comonplace enough for it to be feasible.

But the time is not now. We have more pressing issues to deal with.

[DeepIron]

The real question is. Who would want to spend money to go up in a elevator to space? Would the cost realy be worth it.:-? I mean theres nothing to see in space, except. well space.

You're kidding? Right? The technologies that have been discovered and created in whole and in part due to our space program more than justify the costs... IMO.

Once the elevator is built, it should prove to be more cost effective to use it to loft payloads both to and from orbit. The elevator represents a "reusable" resource, unlike portions of the current shuttle and rocket booster systems.

[Blacklight]

Once the elevator is built, it should prove to be more cost effective to use it to loft payloads both to and from orbit. The elevator represents a "reusable" resource, unlike portions of the current shuttle and rocket booster systems.

It will also be a little safer as you wouldn't have to deal with the controlled explosion of liftoff using volitile liquid and solid (which are more dangerous than liquid) propellents. It will be nice to ride into orbit on something that isn't a flying bomb.

[Task Force]

I hope this thing is sturdy. A earthquake/ tidal wave/ plate movement could make it fall.:-? And what if it breaks.

[CCIP]

I hope this thing is sturdy. A earthquake/ tidal wave/ plate movement could make it fall.:-? And what if it breaks.
Again, I repeat what I said before: it's no incident that the carbon nanotubes that this is being designed around are to be the strongest material ever used. That's why the scientists working on the elevator want them so much - if it could be done with a steel or nylon cable, you'd think they would have already done it. Or at least made a giant space guitar :88)

[Task Force]

Well only time will tell.:D lets see if they finish it.

[Digital_Trucker]

Or at least made a giant space guitar :88)

Now there's a project I could get behind:up:

[Blacklight]

I hope this thing is sturdy. A earthquake/ tidal wave/ plate movement could make it fall.:-? And what if it breaks.

It should be failry stable as the base will be out floating in the middle of the Pacific pretty much right on the Equator. Earthquakes won't affect it. A tidal wave won't bother it because at the depth of the ocean out there, tidal waves aren't noticable at all. If it's made of the right material, it won't break but even if it does, it just falls on maybe 22-30 miles of ocean. Also, the fact that this thing will be ship born (on something resembling a large floating oil rig) and the fact that it will be retractable means that the cable won't be deployed all the time. It will only be reeled out when they're having a "launch" and of course, they'll have to watch the weather and pretty much everything they already do now with our current rockets. It should be a fairly stable platform. It's a lot safer and easier on the payload/human body to launch this way. No riding a flying bomb, not half as much vibrations that can shake payloads apart, etc...

[Skybird]

Some brains seem to have too much time.

[ShalashakaDS]

Some brains seem to have too much time.

Probably, but if theres a faster, cheaper, safer way to transport cargo into space i dont see why it shouldnt be done, and since my country and my tax money have nothing to do with it, all i can say is lets build it!

[jeremy8529]

not only that, but think of the technology and expertise required to build such a technological wonder. Perhaps a project of such scale would a great way to see what we can accomplish as a people, and possibly create some more jobs.

[Skybird]

I think there is more important and more urgent things to think about, than this.

[ShalashakaDS]

Agree. I sure wouldnt put this as my top priority. This probably aint the better way to spend money now, but im sure there are some much worse.

[DeepIron]

The fortunate aspect of this whole enterprise is that it is being pursued "voluntarily" for the most part... These guys are mostly hypothesizing and theorizing at this stage, mostly on their own time as I understand it.

But then again, look at Virgin Galactic... who can say?

[TLAM Strike]

I think there is more important and more urgent things to think about, than this. I don't think you have thought about this enugph Sky. Dirt cheep costs to transport stuff in to space means any company could put thousands of solar cells in orbit and transmit that energy back to earth. But sufficent cells in orbit and two things happen A) No more mid east oil since energy is nearly free and B) Block out a lot of sun light reducing global warming.

Plus we can start building cheap orbital habats to reduce population in crowed areas of the world and micro-grav argiculture to feed everyone on the cheap.

So its eather a space elevator or a bunch of Orion launches to save the Earth... :rock:

[UnderseaLcpl]

I think there is more important and more urgent things to think about, than this. I don't think you have thought about this enugph Sky. Dirt cheep costs to transport stuff in to space means any company could put thousands of solar cells in orbit and transmit that energy back to earth. But sufficent cells in orbit and two things happen A) No more mid east oil since energy is nearly free and B) Block out a lot of sun light reducing global warming.

Plus we can start building cheap orbital habats to reduce population in crowed areas of the world and micro-grav argiculture to feed everyone on the cheap.

So its eather a space elevator or a bunch of Orion launches to save the Earth... :rock:

I tend to agree with skybird on this one.

Even if the costs of transporting things into orbit was cheap, totally excluding the astronomical cost of a space elevator, thousands of photovoltaic cells, a system of orbital habitats and greenhouses, and all the training, personnel, and materials to make those things possible certainly would be prohibitively expensive. Especially right now. That is even more true if we had enough of said facilities to actually affect the amount of sunlight reaching earth in any significant fashion.


IMO, the most pressing issue right now is economic and state reform. Poor countries can't build space elevators.:hmm:

[August]

IMO, the most pressing issue right now is economic and state reform.

On the other hand you are describing a situation that has always existed to some degree since our species first climbed down from the trees. If we were to put off inventing new things until everyone is financially secure we'd still be wearing animal skins and living in caves.

[UnderseaLcpl]

IMO, the most pressing issue right now is economic and state reform.

On the other hand you are describing a situation that has always existed to some degree since our species first climbed down from the trees. If we were to put off inventing new things until everyone is financially secure we'd still be wearing animal skins and living in caves.

I don't get it.:-?

Innovation and invention are key to surviving in the free market. Business invents things all the time. We can have scientific progress and financial success.

All I'm saying is that if the state were to pursue such a concept, it would cost hundreds of billions or possibly trillions of dollars that we don't have, which would inevitably result in more economic damage than the current system already perpetuates.

Now if some corporate giant decided to go out and build a space elevator, I wouldn't mind at all. I might even invest in it.

[Blacklight]

Now if some corporate giant decided to go out and build a space elevator, I wouldn't mind at all. I might even invest in it.

The vast majority of the research and funding for this project is being done by private industries like Liftport.
http://www.liftport.com/

[UnderseaLcpl]

The vast majority of the research and funding for this project is being done by private industries like Liftport.
http://www.liftport.com/

That's cool. Their NASA grant is not.

[SUBMAN1]

And if the cable breaks halfway up?:pA carbon nanotube breaking that was built by nanobots. Hahahahaha! Try it. Not gonna happen.

-S

[Rilder]

Not a pressing need?

What if we are invaded by aliens! :p

[TLAM Strike]

Not a pressing need?

What if we are invaded by aliens! :p

Or not as bad but more probable what if China builds one first and starts throwing rocks. :know:

Go read "The moon in a harsh mistress" by Robert Heinlein if you don't get the "Throwing Rocks" refrence. ;)

So what if a space elevator is expensive. Nearly anything with a major benifit to socity is expensive. As the prevously mentioned Robert Heinlein put it TANSTAAFL.

[Rockin Robbins]

Why is everyone considering that government would be doing this? Government doesn't advance society, private enterprise does. There wasn't a government on earth pursuing the hybrid automobile, the best antipollution and energy efficiency automobile propulsion so far. The ones who give us the change we seek and who "save the world" will be the evil corporations governments seek to punish.

If a major corporation decides a space elevator makes economic sense, no power on earth will stop it. Postulating some false "choice" between the space elevator and some irrelevent environmental concern, no matter how valid, is ridiculous. We are perfectly capable of saving some trees (are there any left in Europe?), building space elevators and going to Disney World too.