space.com — LifePort has received approval from the FAA test its space elevator prototype. In early fall, a balloon will carry a elevator ribbon up to a mile high. Robotic lifters will then crawl up and down the cable testing the feasibility of the project.
Sep 14, 2005 View in Crawl 4
monolithSep 14, 2005
WTF!!! Infrakingcredible.
blhackSep 15, 2005
why does this not have 400 trillion diggs yet. This is f**king amazing monumental work! Oh, now i get it......if this was called an iLift nano, and was made of white plastic..this would have 9 quintillion diggs. Don't even try to argue that it wouldn't because you know that its true.
baltakateiSep 15, 2005
If this project works out, putting a man into orbit would cost a few thousand dollars USD rather than a few *hundred* thousand. The first country that develops this technology will have a huge advantage in space since no expensive chemical rockets would be needed to escape the gravity well. This definately worthy of a digg.
monolithSep 15, 2005
100 years ago they dint have nano fiber tubes... stronger than diamonds.
Closed AccountSep 15, 2005
> 100 years ago they dint have nano fiber tubes... > stronger than diamonds....still in testtubes and plasma chambers.When I can buy buckeyball nanotube lines for my yacht, wake me up....have a nice day.
hypnosSep 15, 2005
The same kind of nay saying was going on when we said we would go to the moon. The truth is we need the space elevator if we want to have any kind of viable space program.The technology is still ten years away at least, but its sure not impossible.
daleallenbakerSep 15, 2005
Even if they just use it to move stuff from here to there, this is freaking awesome.
iamseriousSep 17, 2005
This sounds like a very stupid idea, kind of along the lines of CD players that played LPs as well, or combination horse and buggy/internal combustion engine transports.Repair of this thing SHOULD cable/tubing/whatever line is being used break ALONE makes it a foolhardy venture."NEXT!"
tgilhouSep 17, 2005
Buzz/Brian,you're my hero.Terri G
jon2x4Sep 22, 2005
WTF is going on here!