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Posted by tourdemars to Technology at June 25, 2004 03:57 PM
President Bush wants to return to the moon and put a man on Mars. But scientist Bradley C. Edwards has an idea that's really out of this world: an elevator that climbs 62,000 miles into space. Edwards thinks an initial version could be operating in 15 years, a year earlier than Bush's 2020 timetable for a return to the moon. He pegs the cost at $10 billion, a pittance compared with other space endeavors.TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.marsnews.com/mt/mt-tb.cgi/653
The problem with the elevator is that it needs to attach at both ends. A solution would be to create an artificial ring, much like a tire rim full of spokes. Each could be an elevator to the new launching platform.
Posted by: Harold LaValley at June 25, 2004 06:32 PM
Carbon nanotubes really aren't there yet. Idealy you would want a 50% carbon nanotube material not the current 2%, for something of usable size. I'm not sure how hard it is or when we can expect to get 50%.
Posted by: Matt at June 25, 2004 08:09 PM
Coming this week is the 2004 Space Elevator conference in Washington DC
http://www.isr.us/SpaceElevatorConference
Posted by: Harold LaValley at June 28, 2004 05:41 AM
More on the Space Elevator:
Big bucks go into space elevator study
Researcher could receive millions in federal funds to look into 62,000-mile cable
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5297923/
Posted by: Harold LaValley at June 28, 2004 08:44 AM
While watching programs on the "Discovery Channel" the other evening, there was a special on lighting and the effects of the magnetosphere. Since lightening formation occurs at a positive polarity and travels to a negative polarity, the end result is a transfer of energy. Would a space elevator traveling on a nanocarbon tube actually create a short-circuit between the ionosphere and terra-ferma?
Posted by: Jerry at June 28, 2004 04:06 PM
Hi Jerry: You are close in that a Resistor in electronics is made of carbon. which in so much allows a current to flow though it depending on charge potential. Since the the mast or cable structure is very large though it would have a very high resitive value and would not allow much current to flow. If enough for thought is given to this, one could make the elevator self powering due to this effect.
Posted by: Harold LaValley at July 1, 2004 04:15 AM