Space elevator climb test at MIT in 2005

[upaste]

with the invention/discovery of graphene, the space elevator is fast becoming more and more feasible. it will one hell of a ride with a view.

[boogiebuddy01]

i wouldnt be so affraid of heights if gravity weren't a factor

[TheCarmacon]

man what would i give to be able to study at the MIT <3

[nbrockerson]

@TheCarmacon You can, look up Open Course Ware.

[TheCarmacon]

@nbrockerson wow, you made my day! thanks a lot mate.

[ClearSkyDay]

The next big invention after this will be to make the support ribbon hollow so it doubles as a pipe. Then all ya gotta do is open the valve and ya gots yerself vacuum on tap. Either that or it opens the way for space spiders to invade, we won't know til we try it.

[redelman43199]

To all the idiots saying that it's too slow or that it does not go space, this a scale model idiots! Scientists have to develop working scale model prototypes before they can build the real thing. This is just to see if the general concept would work.

[KanyeTroll]

wtf? this doesn't go into space at all!!!!! even planes fly fucking higher than this

[Pimp1nSmurf]

I can do this to 10,000 feet easy. There is nothing amazing about sending a mechanical device up a cord. Im amazed MIT thought it was an accomplishment. Find something to attach that tether to and stop screwing around because we all know what holds it up is going to be the hurdle. Not the rope and not the elevator.

[iSmkoeBluntsToMyFace]

God has to hold the ribbon from space obviously. Except for when he has to use the bathroom, then his son Jesus takes over for a bit.

[bgdrewsif]

@iSmkoeBluntsToMyFace Amen Dr. Palin!

[MrBOclips]

I would stand at the bottom and cut the line

[yes27]

Are you serious? "What would the tether be attached to?"

Geostationary orbit is given that name for a reason. The cable doesn't have to be attached to anything. If it can reach past 22,000 miles to geostationary orbit, it's solid. The centrifugal force keeps the cable up, geostationary orbit keeps the cable in a line with its base.

Making a cable 22,000 miles long is a different story though...

Carbon nanotubes are theoretically strong enough. But we don't know how make a long enough cable yet.

[PaXx]

@yes27 It should be attached to a counter weight.

[hardstyle905]

6 people are afraid of heights.

[roflcoptermobiliobil]

forget elevators... lets just skip to teleportation so i dont have to move too much to get myself a drink outta the fridge :/

[GuintherRN]

fix the tether to Mars and you got it! come on... we probably will be teleporters by the time they can apply this idea... but anyways, new ideas are always valid

[hardstyle905]

@GuintherRN Fixing the tether to Mars will never work. Not in 100 years. Not in 100,000 years. 

[valandil988]

The reason poeple are even considering using a space elevator is due to the relative costs of getting people or rather materials and technology into space. A rocket for example wastes enormous energy on simply producing heat, a very small part of that is actually used to send the vehicle into space. With a space elevator however dispite the inital engineering problems of actually producing the tether and getting it up there it allows us to apply energy directly to the electric motors.

[valandil988]

@valandil988 Continued; This is vastly more efficient in terms of cost and fuels, it opens up space in a practical manner allowing large amounts of materials to be shipped up into space with a relatively low cost involved. With that door finally opened we can start building structures which will allow us to start manufacturing our probes and shuttles in space these vehicles consequently could be far larger than anything we could currently build on the ground.

[valandil988]

@valandil988 Continued; Say size means more equipment and sensors on board a probe hence meaning you can simply send ONE advanced probe to a planet or moon instead of a series of probes. Larger shuttles or ships means we can start thinking about proper manned missions to other planets in the solar system instead of simply exploring by medium of the mechanical (which I feel is a tad bit dry). So in light of that and the other issues involved I would say give creating a space elevator a go!

[Teh3nglishman]

Think its gonna need to be a bit faster

[TheOnlyBowl]

Why do I have a feeling that, if ever successful, it's going to lead to things like this in our orbit: starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Skyhoo­k

[BeakyRed]

How are they gonna construct it? I mean' I can't imagine supports where workers can walk on going 100,000km upwards. would they have construction ships in low orbit or something? or people building on space ships?

[Superjombombo1]

@BeakyRed launch up a rocket with the materials and build it from the top down.

[hardstyle905]

@BeakyRed Why don't you read the huge article on Wikipedia? My god, we are in the fucking Information Age. You don't even have to go to the library. It's just 1 mouse click away. Carbon nanotubes have been proposed for this idea. But even that isn't strong and light enough. Graphene is also an idea. Frankly, the right material has still to be invented.

[Thanato26]

@WontonsVideos Not if you put a counter weight into geosynchronous orbit. That way it orbits with earth and never moves.

~Thanato

[mickycheese27]

Why tether it? just use magnetic acceleration like in a particle accelerator.

[URProductions]

Considering that Ek=1/2ma, wouldn't it take just as much energy to get to space no matter what method you use? Or is a space elevator more fuel efficient? What energy source would it use anyways?

[Ch3w3h]

Why does it look like it's tethered by toilet paper?

[loknloll]

@Ch3w3h it's basically going to be micro thin carbon nanotubes. thinner than toilet paper.

[bigstiggerNo1]

@WontonsVideos Not if attached to the moon and not attached to Earth. I mean the idea is stupid but not as stupid as a space elevator. You have a 24hr rotation. So if the free end in Earths atmospher had a propulsion device on it. You could use some sort of GPS navigation while lowering into the atmospher to direct the winch to the pick up location.Giving at least 1/2 hour of operation time to link the winch to the object being lifted. Granted the launch site needs an open plain area massive

[dp656]

God... Why are so many people complaining? This is only the most basic of the tests. Once space elevators are real, it goes much more faster than what you see here. Also their not gonna build this wihout and idea to protect it so things like lighting and such won't be a problem. Biggest problem would be the satelites but they can manage. Also space elevators would be like the size of 2-3 big malls or more and it has tons of space. Plus 100$ just to go up? With enough fundings, this will be easy.

[migkid]

this is what happens when teachers say: *there is gold in the moon*...

(this will be a hell of a fast exciting ride! Where is my helmet??!)

[bunnyhead515]

i bet a space elevator would be cheaper to ride/maintain than conventional means of space delivery.

[bigstiggerNo1]

MIT are actually thinking about backing space elevators. Surely the inoic thrusters would have been a better project to work on to forward space travel and colinisation. A winch on the moon would be a better idea to drag things of earth into space as the light side of the moon alway points towards earth. These PHd types are stupid!

[jacksawild]

Why would you put the motor on the elevator? Why not loop the tether and drive it, conveyor belt style, from the earth?

[bigstiggerNo1]

@jacksawild Why even bother at all. What a silly idea all together.

[datzfast]

what hapen to the continuos lighting bolt strikes

[Wapajama99]

MIT = Men In T-shirts

[rock3tcat]

MIT @ work... xD

[leaper112001]

laser guided and powered elevator!!!

[MlleUlysse]

Hahahahahahahaha 

[aaronlovestruth]

so once they get to space what will they do? i have an idea but you will call me crazy. the borg thats what

[bhvmaia]

The fascination with a flat ribbon is illogical. Wind would be

prohibitively strong on such a length, a ribbon would buck and

whip madly, and jetstream would rip it to shreds. And just

imagine the capsule ride! An elliptical cross-section rope would

have least wind-resistance, and ample traction would come from

passing over many wheels like an ordinary cableway. Popular

media must move away from the flat ribbon model, it is irrational

and costs our credibility.

[shortbusheros4]

So this is the peak if space elevator technology?

[camilosilvalindo]

Very good project, expect to live there to see the original.

[memonahmedsafi]

headache :@

[oryansnebula]

My God, people! Can you imagine traveling at one mile an hour to GEO? It would take over 2.5 years to get there.

Let's say that building is 100 feet tall. In that case, the actual tether would have to be over 1,000,000 (that's one million) times longer than the one in the video to get to orbit.

[Ninjaturtletyke5]

this is just a miniature design with what it should do

they probable do not even use the same materials to make this.

[Ninjaturtletyke5]

err I mean a miniature design of what is is supposed to do

[Ninjaturtletyke5]

omg of what it is supposed to do

jeez im dyslexic :P

[DGoncz]

Woohoo! Sign me up for the aluminum foil bunny-suited Ozzie-style space rappel from NEO to that same point. Whee!

[wildboy789789]

these need inflight movie and dinner... thats gonna be a long climb to space if its even 4x faster than the video

[frankenshizzle]

The new commercial space elevator isnt' going to open tomorrow... Wait a good 5 years and you'll start seeing some legit shit

[GermanSpy122]

even if the elevator went 10 meters a second, you'd be stuck in there for a good three weeks if you want to get anywhere.

[peteheatb3]

it needs to be at least 100 times faster-since 2005 the fastest small model i heard of was 3+ m/s on a one kilometer tall wire. these are all just proof of concept though-we already have the technology to build the real climbers tomorrow. All that is required is the will to do so.

[wildboy789789]

do you think obama will push for the elevator (hes been pretty good to the science community on funding)

might be considered the new kennedy if he does

[peteheatb3]

It might be a really smart move politically as well. Just as the war on drugs was started to keep people from thinking about Vietnam, obama could put attention on the elevator and take attention away from all the crap at the moment. Would be a win-win in my opinion, since Ive always felt that the most important thing for our species is to live on multiple worlds, and therefore not be bound to one world's disasters, and the space elevator is the first step in colonization of space.

[wildboy789789]

i dont even want to live on a planet or moon... i want to be in a space station

[peteheatb3]

Sure, we may not WANT to....but every now and then, earth decides to show some pretty nasty natural distasters (comets and asteroids, supervolcanos, ice ages, etc). Natural disasters of this scale could potentially be species-ending for humans. But ONLY if we live just on this planet. Imagine if we lived on mars as well. If earth is blown to bits, we still exist.

[wildboy789789]

well people will be living in space stations befor we are able to set up factories and homes on other worlds

[peteheatb3]

I agree. I think many, many things will need to be in place before we are self-sustained on another world. Terraforming, etc. all need to be done. I was just saying that the eventuality of colonizing space and being self-sufficient from earth seems to be important if we want humans to live on in the universe

[wildboy789789]

i totally agree

[captinseperoth]

@peteheatb3

why just that

you could send atomic waste in space!

[mousavsm]

@peteheatb3 Those disasters you speak of can now be predicted with some degree of accuracy. I think the first known NEO that can actually have a reasonable impact on earth if it were to hit would be in 2880 according to NASA. So yea, we're only 870 or so years away. They are thinking of ways to deflect its path, so it narrowly misses us.

[sutcliffe62x]

a space elevator will have to be made from braided strands of c60-stuffed nanotubes that will collect static electricity as they follow the earths movement through the atmosphere, powering a rail gun to move the payload. microwave generators will maintain the surrounding air currents,

[caqtv]

I think an escalator would be more efficient.

[DPat6590]

@caqtv pffff lol an escalator. an escalator to space lol

[AdelineProductions]

Damn I wanna get into that school

[7225977]

hmmm lifeport more like life suport cause if it gos that slow ima be on it by time i get to space

[amrito92]

its liftport

[figherhigher]

SO1 Boring Mining ep12//SO2 Finding a New Metal ep3//SO3 Selling New Metal ep15//SO4 Someone Makes Robots ep2//SO5 Robots Start To Learn ep5//SO6 Robots Become Dangers ep20

and its in another galaxy with all planets have life and it takes place in space some times

send post coments on my channel

[Stephenlee5]

The elevator is going to have to go faster than that...

I'm not going on their elevator, i would die before i get there.

[danny4572]

u wouldnt be able to anyways...it only for nasa

[bryan3184]

@Stephenlee5 rea...rea... really? You gotta love humans.

[aliesneo]

@Stephenlee5 the faster it goes, the more energy it would require. it would take a few days to reach the geostationary end of the elevator, and that is the inconvenience of using something infinitely cheaper than rocket propulsion. slow, gradual accent with massive payload to fuel ratio.

[dheerajchandv]

the fast it goes......the more energy it gains...

[100redeye]

@Stephenlee5 look up the space elevators from killzone, they go a bit faster :P

[redelman43199]

@Stephenlee5 This is just a scale model, of course it's going to be slower then the real thing.

[hellomate639]

MIT is so fucking sick. I wish I payed more attention these past three years... Or four.

Shit, if I wanted to go there I'd have to go to a four year first.

[timzp]

What will the end of the tether be fixed to? By the way, Arthur C Clark came up with this idea around 40 years ago. Back then everyone laughed at him. A journalist asked him when he thought the space elevator would become a reality. He answered "About 50 years after they stop laughing at it". I guess that time is coming close.

[sirachman]

GEO

[MarsAwaits7]

please note the effect of the wind on this test.A lunar space elevator mission would not have any wind or atmospheric hurdles to contend with

[KC10Buckeye]

That is not entirely accurate...the cable would extend from the surface of the Earth into space and would have to contend with any atmospheric weather from the surface to around 50,000 feet (sometimes higher at the equator).

[timorbit]

So you're saying the immense strength from the gravitational pull wouldn't keep the ribbon tight and steady? If wind is going to be able to disrupt the gravitational pull of the ribbon, they better make sure nobody is allowed near the base or the slightest pulling down on the ribbon is going to bring it crashing down to earth, lol.

[TastyCake001]

what about b4 it leaves the earths atmosphere???

[ataraxic89]

@timzp The tether will be fixed to.. nothing.. Thats the point. The centrifugal forces keep it aloft. It would be about 62.000 Miles long. In theory of course, I think its still a ways off, however, it is the most important invention we could make in terms of making space feasible. Rockets simply cost too much to be useful for anything but crazy expensive space "hotels"

[weezyFshady]

@timzp centripetal force as the earth rotates

[Spastb00n]

I definately hope I'll live to see this become reality. With scientists having found a helium isotope on the moon, that is most likely essential to fusion-research, and might solve the earth's energy problem, it might even become WORTH it, which, in my eyes, brings a whole new aspect to spacetravel, think of the possibilities.

By worth it I mean, that the heium isotope is so rare on earth, that 1 ton of is is worth several billion dollars ^.^

[ryanwilliammac]

space travel is dangerous, due to radiation but i don't give a shit woohhooo!!!

[savata71]

Watch the video "Space bike BG" on YouTube!

[RealDeohge]

Yeah if you build a road to space whats going to stop all the shit that flys into it???

Nice idea but hmm space must not be so full of junk?? I dont see how it would work unless they know how to stop shit from crashing into it.

[FutureScientistOfUSA]

chances are that nothing will hit it since it's soo small, but yes, you would have to consider that possibility. you could build a protective covering or field around the elevetor

[nolsmtm]

whats so impressive about this? anyone could make a climber climb a 300ft ribbon. surely the tether is the bigger problem

[pacwel]

looks like they have a long way to go!!

[deltapeco]

even if they built it it would become target number one all that money destroyed for 29.99 from stuff u can buy at walmart...it is a silly waste of money

[heiismail]

ju[p\

[neal1234567809]

wow its only two years left! 2010

[punchbuggy1970]

actually 0ne it is 2009

[mtrnmestudios]

Dammit there are some idiotic comments in here

[feelie75]

i don't get why climbing a ribbon 300 feet is a big deal. Hasn't that technology been around for many decades? Isn't the goal to create a ribbon that will hold 1Ton in order to support the forces of being 60000 miles in length?

[zepplinjetta]

Do you even know how long 60,000 miles is? That's just dumb and would be impossible to do. 60,000 miles= 316,800,000 feet By the way.

[feelie75]

yes I know how far that is, but my point was that creating a ribbon to support that length is the GOAL is the competition that NASA is sponsoring.

[xGenesisGamingx]

so if we could get like,,, ugh solar panels large enough up into space that would be good right? i mean for the energy burning and what not.

[bermudarailway]

Question how do you get a cable that long up into space in the first place?

[sudovim]

Drop it from the sky or pull it up after the xprize winner space craft.

[Helge129]

You don't. You get it from space to the ground.

[swedishvolvo]

OMG Step back from the ledge please, I am getting goose bumps just watching that.

[sungsanity]

... u noe wot mechanism was used to go up that cable or belt? Like how did the elevator grab the belt and climb up without slipping? wheels?

[OnlySleeping89]

So is this a smaller scale of what could soon be a long, highly resilient cable hanging from an aircraft thousands of feet up? Just wasn't sure if that was the case or not. Well anyways, best of luck continuing this project. It's always nice to see the mind contributing to creative behavior rather than violence.

[themountainviewguy]

one the scale of going up a building there is not change in angular momentum, but something in geostationary orbit is traveling much faster that something under it on the Earth. meaning that is has to be slowed down if it is going to be dropped to Earth, and vice versa.

[ben3580]

geostationary means it takes 1 day for a full orbit, so the same point on the earths surface is always directly beneath it.

[themountainviewguy]

Ben3580 ... look into the concept of angular momentum and then get back to me. The basic idea is that as you get higher you need to increase your angular momentum accordingly or you create forces that work against what you are trying to do. Think of a merry-go-round, you can not easily walk straight in or out from a rotating center.

[Entropy56]

Thank God for fast-forward.

[pimpmastahanh]

btw, just cuz ur going up to orbiting height, doesnt mean ull be weightless, ur still standing horizontally perpendicular to the next force of gravity, have fun being hit by ur own probes at 50, thos miles an hour

[pimpmastahanh]

omg asian borat, c++ ftw

[Convolutedtear]

ya hey you did way better than me sticks and glue sometimes don't work I think ... lol does #7 on the list stand as clean house becuase that prob would with me X D

[DownHillRacer91]

perhaps a betta idea would be to have a bosster rocket actually mounted ON the satilite with the wheel which countered the weight of the load and ballast. This way might sound un economnical, but in space, Newton's third will work almost perfectly (without air resistance), and so the booster rocket would be much more effective...

[DownHillRacer91]

also, the total force acting towardas the earth would increase once the counterweight/load was loaded, thus pulling the satellite with the pully out of geostationary orbit.

[AsianBorat]

MIT==awesomeness, lol.

[pimpmastahanh]

woot fortran

[GaijinNH]

Well for one, I think it would cost a lot of energy to get that lead to "fall" in anywhere near the right direction...the upper wheel is already "falling"...

[ElevatorToSpace]

There is actually a discussion thread about this on the LiftPort forums. YouTube won't let me include the URL in the reply here, but you can go to liftport [dot] com, click on the "Forum" link and then go to the forum thread: Research > The Ribbon > Feasibility of a pulley system rather than a powered lifter?

[ParsecondSpace]

Good work! Keep building prototypes!

To-Do List:

1. Find way to easily manufacture carbon nanotubes cheaply.

2. Start construction of a ribbon.

3. Begin construction on lifters.

4. Design counterweight or space station to hold ribbon taut.

5. Start building a commercial space infrastructure, and save the human race from an asteroid impact or nuclear war!

6. Become a billionaire.

[msdnvp]

u know what happens when it gets oil on that toilet paper. lol yups it falls down. MIT u suxxx

[AsianBorat]

lol

[JUKIO01]

so did it make it to space, come on stupid mit kids!!!