Space Elevators Maybe Closer To Reality Than Imagined

Spacedaily ^ | 7/22/03 | Richard Perry

[Brett66]

Ping.

[isthisnickcool]

If they don't mind. I'll use the stairs.

[RightWhale]

If they need $10 billion, they better start asking for funds somehow. There is no corporation outside of gov't that could come up with that kind of free capital, but maybe they could sell stock. Stock sales might bring in $ millions, not $ billions, so at this point it is not clear how to get this project off the ground. It should be done, and wouldn't waste any more money than a few Space Shuttle launches already does.

[discostu]

Hmm, with all the talk of avoid natural disaster I think they should build it right here in Tucson. No hurricanes, no tornados, no earth quakes, no volcanos, we get "flood" but compared to what the rest of the world considers a flood they're nothing.

And I wanna see it go up.

[Arkie2]

There's a lot going on in Space right now and virtually none of it has anything to do with NASA. From the X prize to solar sails to fission reactors coupled to ion engines to these elevators, the list is long and exciting. The next ten years will be great.

[discostu]

When IBM bought Lotus they said they had a $500 million war chest available just for that acquisistion.

[evolved_rage]

Microsoft has $50 Billion in short term assets...Present the elevator as a monopoly and Bill might drool...

[ElkGroveDan]

GOING DOWN?

[Cachelot]

Space elevators would be vulnerable to attacks. I wouldn't want to be responsible for one of these contraptions as long as there's a muslim left running around with access to dynamite.

[GhostofWCooper]

Bill Gates could put one up and have his own cozy condo at the top of it. Heck, he probably will.

[TomB]

Space elevators would be vulnerable to attacks. I wouldn't want to be responsible for one of these contraptions as long as there's a muslim left running around with access to dynamite.

On behalf of all humanity, I absolve you of all responsibility for the space elevator.

Now run along and let the grownups get back to work.

[irv]

I think their time estimates are optimistic. 2 years to research materials? Give it 10. Then another ten years after that to get the thing built - and that's assuming they can get funding.

Still, I'd rather see the money go for this than the &*^#$%@ International Space Station.

[irv]

There's a lot going on in Space right now and virtually none of it has anything to do with NASA.

There's a reason for that. NASA's day was done 30 years ago. Our turn, very soon.

[Brett66]

Still, I'd rather see the money go for this than the &*^#$%@ International Space Station.

Yeah, but NASA getting involved in this may not be a good thing, but I guess if they're going to blow billions of dollars it might as well be on something that has the potential to be ultimately useful.

[KevinDavis]

Space Ping! This is the space ping list! Let me know if you want on or off this list!

[Paul C. Jesup]

Let me get this straight, you want to climb 1500km worth of stairs...

You sir are out of your ever loving mind. ;P

[Brett66]

There's a lot going on in Space right now and virtually none of it has anything to do with NASA.

I suspect we're witnessing future trends unfolding here, NASA will become more and more irrelevant. Their destiny is to be a small, but interesting, historical footnote.

[tortoise]

If they need $10 billion, they better start asking for funds somehow. There is no corporation outside of gov't that could come up with that kind of free capital, but maybe they could sell stock.

Quite a number of corporations have liquid slush-funds that large in scope. Hell, Microsoft is up to, what, $50B in cash currently?

[kjam22]

Stairway to heaven? The whole idea is pretty much stupid.