The Space Elevator

[Ash]

Probably a few of you have heard of what has been dubbed "The Space Elevator".
I myself just read about it in my local newspaper yesterday. (6-26-04)
It seems that the idea for this has been around for quite some time but this is the first I've heard of it.
Where the hell have I been!?

Here is a brief description taken from Space.com:

"For a space elevator to function, a cable with one end attached to the Earth's surface stretches upwards, reaching beyond geosynchronous orbit, at 21,700 miles (35,000-kilometer altitude).
After that, simple physics takes charge.

The competing forces of gravity at the lower end and outward centripetal acceleration at the farther end keep the cable under tension. The cable remains stationary over a single position on Earth. This cable, once in position, can be scaled from Earth by mechanical means, right into Earth orbit. An object released at the cable's far end would have sufficient energy to escape from the gravity tug of our home planet and travel to neighboring the moon or to more distant interplanetary targets."

Interesting!

Here's what scientists believe they will use as the building material:

"Putting physics aside the toughest challenge has been finding a super-strong cable material. "That's what has kept this idea in science fiction for 40 years," Edwards said. But the right stuff in terms of cable material is no longer thought of as "unobtainium", he said.

The answer is carbon-nanotube-composite ribbon. Small fibers of the material are set down side-by-side, then interconnected to form a growing ribbon."

Very interesting!

Go here for the full article:
http://www.space.com/businesstechnology/technology/space_elevator_020327-1.html

It literally could be an elevator to the stars.

What's your take on this?
Do you think we'll see it in our lifetime?
Where do you think they would station it?  Where would it be rooted?
Do you think it will be a success if constructed?



Post Edited (06-27-04 03:25)

[Mr_Vindictive]

I too have read about this is the past year Ash.  I don't think that it will ever become a reality though.  You have to think that the world is constantly turning.  How would it ever work when you take that into consideration?

[Prophet Tenebrae]

Eh... the geosychronous orbit?

I don't think it'll happen any time soon but it's been used in plenty of sci-fi books, the Mars trilogy, 3001: A Space Oddessey. It's kind of like the Dyson Sphere concept - something that's been around for quite a while

My take on it is that it's a good idea but it'll be a long time coming.

Possibly in my life time if I live to 100 or so... then there's a chance but more realistically 2150 but then the future is hard to predict these days.

Stationed - from a practical point of view it's got to be on the equator. So I imagine somewhere in South America or the middle of Africa.

A success? It would make getting into space dirty cheap after the initial construction and that's the final frontier. Still only time can tell.

10

[JohnL]

I don't see how it could work. It doesn't seem like the Earth spins fast enough to keep it taunt. Then when you have something going up the cable, the inertia would increase, cauing the center of the cable to lag behind the rest and pulling down the upper end.

[Dunners]

Doesnt this fit the definition of "ball and chain?"