Re: [twuug] OT: NASA space program

["Ethan O'Toole" <ethan@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

>  The design is pretty neat: a 1 cm thick ribbon of superstrong carbon fibers
> anchored to
> an ocean platform like an oil rig on earth and to a satellite in
> geostationary orbit on the
> other. They payload is delivered to space via a large circular tray with a
> crawler in the

I thought they make the ribbon, then send up crawlers with more ribbon
until a huge, thick, beanstalk into the sky is created? There is no way
1cm thick ribbon of carbon fiber can have the tensile strength to lift a
huge mass.

>  One interesting thing to note is that the space elevator will make it
> possible to put
> large amounts of freight in both orbital and spacebound trajectories that
> the shuttle
> and Russia's cargo rockets cannot.

So we can finally get rid of nuclear waste!

>  We'll need to have one of these to operating to build interstellar craft
> (you can build
> much more efficiently if the ship doesn't have to contend with the stresses
> of leaving
> Earth's gravity), so I wonder if DoD will end up giving High Lift some
> funding.

Well, a lunar lander would help too -- for exploring planets. 

>  The company says that it will take about 10 years to build, and 3-4 years
> of that
> is research into making stronger carbon fiber materials for the ribbon (of
> course a
> breakthrough or more money would accelerate the process). I hope I get to
> see one
> operate in my lifetime.
> Jeff

Definitly.


+----------------------------------------------------------------------.
  Ethan O'Toole / 757 Technologies / (757)233-9460 / www.757tech.net   :
+----------------------------------------------------------------------'
                          


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