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Posted on 11/05/2009 6:00:50 PM PST by KevinDavis
Pull me up, Scotty. At least one team has qualified for part of a $2 million prize up for grabs in this year's Space Elevator Games, a NASA-sponsored contest to build machines that can climb a cable in the sky – precursors for a futuristic transit system to space.
On Wednesday, an entry by the Washington state-based team LaserMotive climbed a 3,000-foot (900-meter) tether suspended by a helicopter at a speed of about 8 mph (13 kph). The feat was the best performance yet of a miniature space elevator prototype, though still a long shot away from what would be needed to carry humans to Earth orbit, as proponents envision.
(Excerpt) Read more at space.com ...
I was reading about Tsiolkovsky recently and noted his interest in space elevators. Its a cool idea.
digital conveyor??
The Space Elevator, unfortunately, will turn out to be as practical as the DCX.
Ground floor:
Perfumery, stationary, and leather goods, wigs and haberdashery, kitchenware and food. Going up…
First floor:
Telephones, gents ready made suits, shirts, suits, ties, hats, underwear, and shoes. Going up…
Second floor:
Carpets, travel goods, and bedding, materials, soft furnishings, restaurants, and ties. Going down…
First floor:
Telephones, gents ready made suits, shirts, suits, ties, hats. Going down…
Paging Mr. Clarke. Mr. Arthur C. Clarke...
The hard part is developing a material that will allow the deployment of a several hundred mile long (or longer) cable, and demonstrating the capability to actually field it. Even a demonstration of a small step in this direction would be far more impressive than a cable-climbing mechanism.
when i first heard of the lofstrom loop i thought the loop was a circular band that rotated at enough speed to stand it upright. think of a bicycle tire standing up, spun by a motor at the base.
it would be convenient, but it would use vast amounts of energy.
Centripetal force is fun!
It would stay up. Remember it’s spinning along with the earth, the somewhat fictional centripetal force would keep it from falling back to earth.
The real problem lies in creating a cable that wouldn’t snap in two from the stress.
Imagine you’re on the innaugeral Space Elevator Launch Team. It’s a long ride and you get to choose the music played in the capsule.
What “elevator music” will you choose?
I’m going with Metallica elevator music.
Where ever I may roam.
Space Station #5
“Love in an Elevator”
“Rocket Man”
“Number One” - Chaz Jankel
Great middle montage song from “Real Genius”
Rewards for achievement. Its a proven formula.
The cable is but one of many problems and is on being addressed concurrently with this kind of effort.
Also, beam power transmission has other possible applications, plus this helps advance miniaturization.
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