Stairway to heaven

London Telegraph ^

[Grendel9]

You may be right...but I'm going to wait
for my next incarnation before booking a
seat!

[solitas]

The orbital anchor is 600 tons..
The Nano-tube ribbon weighs 800 tons..
I don't think the laws of gravity will allow for this..

It'll work fine. At the published 28 lb/mi the whole 62,000 miles would weigh (28*62000/2000=) 868 tons. Remember: the break-even point is geostationary orbit - the mass below that wants to fall down, the mass AT that point is stable, and the mass above it is in tension (pulling the whole thing up).

[JackDanielsOldNo7]

[Former Proud Canadian]

I really believe this will be the "road to the universe". Well, the first step from Earth, anyway.

As I understand it, the Earth station has to be on or near the equator. Check out Baker Island or Jarvis Island in the Pacific. Both US possessions, uninhabited, virtually on the equator and far from everything.

[solitas]

I can believe the theory and the principle; but have more than a little disbelief with any organization and the current technology: who's big enough to make such a product happen? One of these little yowly startup companies with big dreams? Anybody can draw things up on a computer and sound competent enough to get some sucker's money, but how are they going to get it started when they can't get to orbit?

NASA, the only 'company' that can almost-reliably (remember the O-rings?) get to orbit (albeit some 'problems' getting back to ground) can't even get back to where they were in the entire insulating-foam debacle, can't replace the shuttles they've lost, can't keep up the station they just had to build with other nations, can't figure out a lift/drop system (reusable or one-shot) just to support the station, and wants to spend 105-bazillion dollars to go to the Moon - why would they want to [try to] build an orbital tether?

[RightOnline]

Think I'll take the stairs, thanks.

[Former Proud Canadian]

The theory and the principle are sound, I think. Current technology is not able to achieve this, however. The hope is that, through nanotechnology, construction will be achievable.

I have more faith in a non-governmental organization being able to pull this off than a calcified bureaucracy like NASA. There are several private companies that can "get to orbit". Privately owned satellites are launched all the time, google "sea-launch". They don't launch manned flights because there is not enough money in it.

The space elevator is a concept whose time is coming. It will open up the universe for us.

[Cincinatus]

The real problem with the space elevator isn't mass, it's time. You can't send people up on it -- it takes too long to traverse the radiation belts. You can send up cargo, but if you want to go with your payload, you'll still have to ride up to space on a rocket. If we don't eliminate rockets with the elevator, it loses a lot of it's appeal.

[ovrtaxt]

Cool! Hey, mike- maybe you'll finally be able to reach Uranus!

[solitas]

There are several private companies that can "get to orbit". Privately owned satellites are launched all the time, google "sea-launch". They don't launch manned flights because there is not enough money in it.

I don't know... They may have proven that they can loft (one-way trips, I might add) relatively small machinery (designed to operate in vacuum, and temperature extremes, and radiation); but there's a bit more involved when it comes to launching (and RETURNING) humans (size, environment/air, foor/water/waste, shielding, insulation, etc).

Is it that there's no money in it (then why has Russia done a couple such launches?) or they're really not that advanced yet (seeing as I don't remember hearing even about animal launches to prove they can maintain life through a launch/landing cycle)?

[Grendel9]

Well, the old adage is worth repeating.
Anything the mind can conceive is potentially
possible. In the old days, it would have been
considered Divine Inspiration! Michaelangelo
and all those Renaissance Boys had active
imaginations...yet today much relating to their
conceptions is deemed credible.