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Palomar

Member

From: USA

Registered: 2002-05-30

Posts: 9,734

Re: Space Elevator Do-Able in 15 Years - ...for $10 Billion

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u … tor_1]Read Me

*Scientist Bradley C. Edwards.  One of the better articles I've yet read on the subject.

I know I started a space elevator thread months ago, but can't find it with refined search.  :-\  Have started new thread.

--Cindy

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We all know [i]those[/i] Venusians: Doing their hair in shock waves, smoking electrical coronas, wearing Van Allen belts and resting their tiny elbows on a Geiger counter...

--John Sladek (The New Apocrypha)

Rxke

Member

From: Belgium

Registered: 2003-11-03

Posts: 3,669

Re: Space Elevator Do-Able in 15 Years - ...for $10 Billion

Unghhh...

And me clicking the link, expecting a new breakthrough... Nada.

Has any 'elevator-follower' noticed it has gone eerily quiet on the subject?

Shaun Barrett

Member

From: Cairns, Queensland, Australia

Registered: 2001-12-28

Posts: 2,843

Re: Space Elevator Do-Able in 15 Years - ...for $10 Billion

Things are still going on in the background, Rik.
    I believe they're just about to hold the third (I think) annual convention of organisations interested in the Space Elevator, including NASA's Marshall Spaceflight Center and a few others.
    Dr. Bradley Edwards is still very optimistic about the rate at which Carbon Nanotube filaments are being made longer and cheaper. And there is even supposed to be a new technique in existence for braiding CNT filaments into the equivalent of rope!
    Dr. Edwards sees no insurmountable problems and still maintains that a working Space Elevator could be erected no more than 15 years from the go-ahead to build it.

    I think this concept is one whose time has come. Go Bradley!!
                                               :up:   

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The word 'aerobics' came about when the gym instructors got together and said: If we're going to charge $10 an hour, we can't call it Jumping Up and Down.   - Rita Rudner

PurduesUSAFguy

Banned

From: Purdue University

Registered: 2004-04-04

Posts: 237

Re: Space Elevator Do-Able in 15 Years - ...for $10 Billion

I'd highly recomend reading Dr. Edwards book Space Elevator. I had relegated the idea of a space elevator to one of those far future things that I wouldn't be alive to see but it really outlines all the solutions to the problems I could think of.

I just thought to add the one problem I didn't see any good solutions offered for is UV/Ozone degradation of the ribbon at altitude....not saying there isn't a solution to it, I just don't recall reading one in the book that I thought was very plausible, I'll dig it out tonight and reread that chapter.

I'm really excited about the fact that NASA has jumped on the elevator band wagon, it's the best solution to get out of using expendables I can see in the near term baring using NTRs for earth to orbit, and I'm sure all the tree-huggers in this country would just love that particular idea.

GCNRevenger

Member

From: Earth

Registered: 2003-10-14

Posts: 6,056

Re: Space Elevator Do-Able in 15 Years - ...for $10 Billion

Yeah, odd how the elevator people preach about the chemistry that is almost advanced far enough to permit the elevator on paper, but then turn around and ignore the atmospheric chemistry. Atomic oxygen, ozone, and UV light will destroy carbon molecular bonds pretty rapidly, and will even eat aluminum metal you would clad it with.

It would be easier just to launch two chemical rockets instead of one big NTR rocket to reach LEO... I still maintain that we have the technology now, with our turbine engines, composits, high-temp ceramics, metal alloys, slush hydrogen, and aerospike engines to make a truely reuseable TSTO Shuttle. Easy and cheap? No... possible and practical, yes.

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[i]"The power of accurate observation is often called cynicism by those that do not have it." - George Bernard Shaw[/i]

[i]The glass is at 50% of capacity[/i]

Shaun Barrett

Member

From: Cairns, Queensland, Australia

Registered: 2001-12-28

Posts: 2,843

Re: Space Elevator Do-Able in 15 Years - ...for $10 Billion

Hi GCNRevenger.
    Strips of the ribbon will be tested for durability in all of the environmental circumstances you mentioned, and more.
    As and when problems are identified, inert coatings will be developed to reduce degradation of the material to acceptable rates. There are always a thousand reasons why we can't achieve something but, very often, while some people are listing those reasons, somebody else goes out and achieves that something!
                                             

    There are no problems; only solutions.
                                               

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The word 'aerobics' came about when the gym instructors got together and said: If we're going to charge $10 an hour, we can't call it Jumping Up and Down.   - Rita Rudner

GCNRevenger

Member

From: Earth

Registered: 2003-10-14

Posts: 6,056

Re: Space Elevator Do-Able in 15 Years - ...for $10 Billion

Welll hate to break it to you, but said coating (Aluminum) is easily corroded by UV/AO.

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[i]"The power of accurate observation is often called cynicism by those that do not have it." - George Bernard Shaw[/i]

[i]The glass is at 50% of capacity[/i]

Palomar

Member

From: USA

Registered: 2002-05-30

Posts: 9,734

Re: Space Elevator Do-Able in 15 Years - ...for $10 Billion

There are no problems; only solutions.
                                               

*Brief off-topic comment:

Shaun, that comment was a ray of sunshine.  A good optimistic reminder.

--Cindy 

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We all know [i]those[/i] Venusians: Doing their hair in shock waves, smoking electrical coronas, wearing Van Allen belts and resting their tiny elbows on a Geiger counter...

--John Sladek (The New Apocrypha)