Space Elevator

Rod
Rod
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Topic 194416

Just heard Professor Quine of York University on CBC on his concept of creating a 20 Km structure to act as a space elevator. They have done some physical scale modeling :-)

Space Elevator

There are some who can live without wild things and some who cannot. - Aldo Leopold

Mike Hewson
Mike Hewson
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Space Elevator

Quote:

Just heard Professor Quine of York University on CBC on his concept of creating a 20 Km structure to act as a space elevator. They have done some physical scale modeling :-)

Space Elevator


I first read of this concept in a sci-fi about Mars - a Kim Stanley Robinson epic I think? It has a huge setup cost but very little to run. If you have product going down the stack it lifts stuff going up. That regenerative aspect is clever. But you still get benefits without that.

Also, as the sci-fi illustrated, it'll make one heck of a mess if it comes down. The structural material qualities are rather stringent. It is the old battle between weight vs. strength, in compression and tension, but with flexibility in addition. I like the idea of inflatable components which lighten the loads.

I'd be unsure if you'd get people to ride it initially though. Mind you, an exit in a gliding/flyable craft is do-able.

Cheers, Mike.

I have made this letter longer than usual because I lack the time to make it shorter ...

... and my other CPU is a Ryzen 5950X :-) Blaise Pascal

Rod
Rod
Joined: 3 Jan 06
Posts: 4396
Credit: 811266
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RE: I first read of this

Message 93473 in response to message 93472

Quote:
I first read of this concept in a sci-fi about Mars - a Kim Stanley Robinson epic I think? It has a huge setup cost but very little to run. If you have product going down the stack it lifts stuff going up. That regenerative aspect is clever. But you still get benefits without that.

Arthur C. Clark wrote a book called 'Foundations in Paradise' which I think is the first reference to a space elevator.. Their paper actually references this book:-)

Quote:

I'd be unsure if you'd get people to ride it initially though. Mind you, an exit in a gliding/flyable craft is do-able.

Cheers, Mike.

There all plenty of adventurous people to try it out initially.. People with some disposable cash (about thirty million US) can get a ride to the space station aboard a Soyuz space craft.

There are some who can live without wild things and some who cannot. - Aldo Leopold

Mike Hewson
Mike Hewson
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RE: There all plenty of

Message 93474 in response to message 93473

Quote:
There all plenty of adventurous people to try it out initially.. People with some disposable cash (about thirty million US) can get a ride to the space station aboard a Soyuz space craft.


Ah, the ultimate bungee jump. Literally. It'd be the last thing you'd do. :-O

Cheers, Mike.

I have made this letter longer than usual because I lack the time to make it shorter ...

... and my other CPU is a Ryzen 5950X :-) Blaise Pascal

Rod
Rod
Joined: 3 Jan 06
Posts: 4396
Credit: 811266
RAC: 0

RE: RE: There all plenty

Message 93475 in response to message 93474

Quote:
Quote:
There all plenty of adventurous people to try it out initially.. People with some disposable cash (about thirty million US) can get a ride to the space station aboard a Soyuz space craft.

Ah, the ultimate bungee jump. Literally. It'd be the last thing you'd do. :-O

Cheers, Mike.

Actually I would like to take a leak off the thing ;-)

There are some who can live without wild things and some who cannot. - Aldo Leopold

Mike Hewson
Mike Hewson
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Joined: 1 Dec 05
Posts: 6534
Credit: 284730859
RAC: 105773

RE: Actually I would like

Message 93476 in response to message 93475

Quote:
Actually I would like to take a leak off the thing ;-)


Yeah .........

Definitely a Bucket List item.

Cheers, Mike.

I have made this letter longer than usual because I lack the time to make it shorter ...

... and my other CPU is a Ryzen 5950X :-) Blaise Pascal

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