Most of us on slashdot will probably agree that "Economics, Energy, Carbon and Climate" are all one big problem that needs more investment. But the devil is in the details of how to do it.
I'm not an expert on this subject like Henson, but IMHO a space elevator seems just as close to being technically viable as space plane powered by a ground-based laser and microwave power beamed to earth.
Not only that -- a space elevator would be much cleaner and the cables might even be able to double as power transmission lines. And -- since all the good tethering points are in the third world (the equator) it would be a big solution to economic disparities too.
Why does Henson's article not consider the possibility of a space elevator ?
Carbon nanotubes already exist, we just have to make them longer.: this from 2013: "Chinese scientists at Tsinghua University in Beijing have managed to grow a carbon nanotube (CNT) that is just over half a metre long â" over double their previous bes." http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/2013/07/carbon-nanotube-record-half-metre-long
The space race between the US and the Russians WAS little more than a competion of giant phalluses.
US engineers needs to stop obsessing on the size of their rockets.
The "classical" space elevator (ground to GEO) can't be built, even with carbon nanotube cable. There are more modern versions that can be built. Realistic engineering designs have to consider a lot of factors that artist's illustrations you most likely have seen don't.
1 Angstrom: measure of computer anxiety = 1000 nail-bytes
Space Elevator (Score:2)
Most of us on slashdot will probably agree that "Economics, Energy, Carbon and Climate" are all one big problem that needs more investment. But the devil is in the details of how to do it.
I'm not an expert on this subject like Henson, but IMHO a space elevator seems just as close to being technically viable as space plane powered by a ground-based laser and microwave power beamed to earth.
Not only that -- a space elevator would be much cleaner and the cables might even be able to double as power transmission lines.
And -- since all the good tethering points are in the third world (the equator) it would be a big solution to economic disparities too.
Why does Henson's article not consider the possibility of a space elevator ?
Re: Space Elevator (Score:-1)
Is it because the the Skylon rocket has a cool name and resembles a giant penis ?
Re: (Score:0)
It's because Skylon offers a drastic reduction in lift cost without the need to invent new materials as the space elevator would require.
Re: Space Elevator (Score:0)
Carbon nanotubes already exist, we just have to make them longer.: this from 2013:
"Chinese scientists at Tsinghua University in Beijing have managed to grow a carbon nanotube (CNT) that is just over half a metre long â" over double their previous bes." http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/2013/07/carbon-nanotube-record-half-metre-long
The space race between the US and the Russians WAS little more than a competion of giant phalluses.
US engineers needs to stop obsessing on the size of their rockets.
Re: (Score:2)
I recently did a class on space elevator design:
- Class notes: https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/... [wikibooks.org]
- Slides: http://imgur.com/a/cCTY5 [imgur.com]
The "classical" space elevator (ground to GEO) can't be built, even with carbon nanotube cable. There are more modern versions that can be built. Realistic engineering designs have to consider a lot of factors that artist's illustrations you most likely have seen don't.