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28 Comments
- PeaTearGryphon, on 11/05/2009, -0/+24The space elevator could be one of the most important projects in history, I hope we get to see it's completion in our lifetime.
- Advocate, on 11/05/2009, -0/+19very very cool... but has anyone had any breakthroughs in a tether that wouldn't break under it's own weight?
- borez, on 11/05/2009, -0/+15Yet.
- ivan423, on 11/05/2009, -2/+16I am going to take off my pants right now
- Jpatano, on 11/05/2009, -0/+10there are already "no fly zones" around important structures like nuclear power plants, the white house, etc. this would just be one more small area where planes would not be allowed to go. not really an inconvenience at all.
- 15thPD, on 11/05/2009, -0/+7I'm a nudist.
- danwallace, on 11/05/2009, -0/+7Mine were already off.
- ThatGeek, on 11/05/2009, -0/+7not nearly the biggest problem... there isnt a current way to build a cable long enough that wont destroy itself with its own weight. Carbon nanotubes have been showing some promise, but we cant make them thin and long enough yet
- borez, on 11/05/2009, -0/+7Baby steps, but... we are on our way.
- pinkcherry, on 11/05/2009, -0/+5I am gonna takes my pants off too.
- DennisOhlson, on 11/05/2009, -0/+5I wonder when these things appear how many of them we are going to have on this planet. Will it be like A service that say airports have. Or what? Its going to be annoying for planes, if these do become popular, they will need to be on the lookout for these things.
- dromni, on 11/05/2009, -1/+5At a price tag of multi-billion dollars for each space elevator, I doubt that there will be that many of them. They would have to be anchored at the Equator line, and if you imagine, say, 10 of then then each would be 4,000 Km from the next.
- Eupatorus, on 11/05/2009, -0/+3*apply reverb* Spaaace Elevatooor!
- BESTenemy, on 11/05/2009, -0/+3The future:
People taking a space elevator to the space hotel, listening to space elevator music. - 2Deluxe, on 11/05/2009, -0/+3Even if this weren't spam, no-one is THAT pretty.
- guttersniper, on 11/06/2009, -0/+3Woo!!! University of Saskatchewan! Wooo!! Green and white!! We're going to win! Hurrah!
- Kwanijml, on 11/05/2009, -0/+2Assuming that carbon nanotubes will be the material of choice to eventually devise a way to make this cable, and since they are a semiconducting material, it seems to me that there would be a much better way to do this; this immensely long cable is going to generate huge amounts of static electricity (in fact nasa has purposefully done such experiments in orbit to show how electricity could be generated this way). There has to be some way to harness this charge to run motors that would power the payloads up and down, as well as to power ion rockets on the space-side anchor of the elevator to keep it on track and overcome the frictions that would otherwise pull it out of it's geosynchronous orbit such as wind and magnetic forces. Just a thought, but I'd really like to see more innovation that just trying to blast the platform upwards with a ridiculously expensive and energy consuming laser.
- ThePhilster, on 11/06/2009, -0/+2The line itself is supported by the counterweight, which like any satellite moves with centripetal motion, i.e. the energy in its forward component velocity is equal to its downward component (caused by gravity.) This is what keeps satellites in a circular orbit. (Centrifugal force is more or less a made up force. Wiki it.) Again, forgive me if I'm wrong because I'm just a fledgling aerospace engineer, but this same concept can be applied to the entire line. The counterweight in essence "pulls" on the line. As long as the center of weight remains above the geosynchronous orbit, you're good. The problem arises when other space forces like solar winds come into play. That's why currently this is an implausible concept, but it is not an impossible concept (in the future.)
Power can come through the line itself as has been proposed. The laser thing is kind of interesting too. Again right now probably not possible, but hey, you never know what the future holds. - ivan423, on 11/06/2009, -0/+2Wow
- ThePhilster, on 11/05/2009, -0/+1The winds I can see being a problem but angular momentum shouldn't be. Correct me if I'm wrong here but don't you have to think of inertial frames of reference? Putting the object on the elevator puts that object in the elevator's inertial frame of reference.
Also the space elevator should always be normal to the tangential component of the earth's surface without much of a problem once the counterweight has been accelerated to the necessary velocity in the geosynchronous orbit. All you have to do is maintain that speed with boosters or something. - runchummey, on 11/05/2009, -3/+4Not only that, there are several basic physics questions that make this concept the stupidest thing I ever heard of. High winds at 150mph against an object climbing the cord will generate a gazillion force lbs against each point of anchor. Stresses due to trying to maintain the correct angle of the space anchor will require a fuel tank the size of the moon to keep it in place for any extended period of time.
There are several more physics principles being violated with this concept. Where are the responsible scientists standing up to show what a hokey idea this is? - ghank, on 11/07/2009, -0/+1306
- A11YND, on 11/06/2009, -1/+1Looks like a good place for some slime tethering! /winston.
- Fustigations, on 11/06/2009, -0/+0PIGS IN SPAAAAAACE!
- Fustigations, on 11/06/2009, -0/+0The space side anchor would probably be beyond geosynchronous orbit to counteract load lifting and atmospheric drag, as well as to help keep the cable taut and stabilize the orbit.
A laser may be the most cost effective alternative due to permanent installation, hookup to the grid, easy maintenance, fairly efficient power conversion, and with new technology, the ability to beam through atmosphere without issue. Cable power would be problematic for many reasons, and fuel on board is right out due to weight. If they figure out a way to use static electricity, they could help power the laser with that. You need a differential (ground in this case) to create electrical impulse. - pinkcherry, on 11/06/2009, -1/+1Alright boys time to party. *Puts on strap-on*
- runchummey, on 11/05/2009, -3/+1Wrong, wrong, wrong. Satellites all have small correction jets to stabilize them in their position to correct for galactic forces in play. They themselves are a constant weight.
A "space elevator" has a variable weight exerting a force equal and opposite to it while it is climbing. The space anchor point will be pulled down unless there is an equal and opposite force applied.
The "space elevator" is the kind of nonsense being propagated by the non-thinking, woweee, mentality that somehow latched on to this concept.
And what if the cable snaps while a load is climbing? Where is the energy stored in the climbing capsule TO MAKE IT CLIMB? Electrical storms?
There are so many concepts that can not be answered by this idiotic concept that it is best relegated to the section of cartoon stories in the realm of fiction.
DUMB, DUMB, DUMB!! - hagfish, on 11/05/2009, -5/+3I expect it's because I'm a bit thick, but I still don't get where the angular momentum is going to come from, that will accellerate your payload from ~1000km/hr at the Earth's surface (one rev per 24 hours), to more than 30,000km/hr at the end of the teather (to maintain one rev per 24 hours). A 'counterweght'? A decent rocket, more like.
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