Re: Ages everyone?

On Wed, 13 Sep 2006 20:44:37 +0100, Jim Davies
<jim@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

On the grave of Sea Wasp <seawaspobvious@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> is
inscribed:

snip

A beanstalk capable of carrying a hundred tons a
day to orbit would have, as its central component, what amounts to a
ribbon about fifteen inches wide and very thin, stretching to orbit
and getting slowly thicker until it reached geosynch and measured
about twelve feet wide, and then would shrink down again on the other
side. It would weigh little enough that the central cable would be
able to be shipped UP in a relatively small vessel. The only
"dangerous" parts would be the elevator cars themselves, which
wouldn't be any larger than the Shuttle.

Er...hold on. You've just written that a cone 15" to 150 ft across and
TWENTY-TWO THOUSAND MILES long will fit in a small vessel. I know you
do high-power RP, but RL isn't quite like that. I make it about 150
million tons, though I don't know the density of nanotubes so I'll
guess about 1.

If your math was right nobody would be seriously considering a space
elevator.

http://www.spaceelevator.com/

http://www.space.com/businesstechnology/technology/space_elevator_020327-1.html

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast07sep_1.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_elevator

This article is the only one I've found a weight in--they're figuring
a useable starter elevator is 20,000kg. That's one shuttle load,
although you'll need another for the booster to move it to GEO for
deployment.
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Favoritre anime starships
    ... >space, they can be released into orbit, or lunar or interplanetary ... Unlike a space elevator, a rotovator needn't be locked to the equator. ... Even a surface-to-orbit elevator would cause little damage if cut. ...
    (rec.arts.anime.misc)
  • Re: Ages everyone?
    ... day to orbit would have, as its central component, what amounts to a ribbon about fifteen inches wide and very thin, stretching to orbit and getting slowly thicker until it reached geosynch and measured about twelve feet wide, and then would shrink down again on the other side. ... REALLY thin. ... Weighs in the hundreds of tons range. ...
    (rec.games.frp.dnd)
  • Re: Ages everyone?
    ... day to orbit would have, as its central component, what amounts to a ... ribbon about fifteen inches wide and very thin, stretching to orbit ... TWENTY-TWO THOUSAND MILES long will fit in a small vessel. ... Jim or Sarah Davies, but probably Jim ...
    (rec.games.frp.dnd)
  • Re: Burt Rutans plans for a manned mission to Mars
    ... :There is one potentially cheap way of getting into orbit that is just ... The rotating elevator has one great, ... the payload is more elevator modules, ... able to lift more payload and/or from a lower boost speed. ...
    (sci.space.policy)
  • Re: How on earth are we going to comlete the space elevator
    ... orbit for such a task to take place. ... the elevator would be designed for it. ... Most space elevators designs are anchored at the Earth end. ...
    (sci.space.shuttle)