The Space Elevator Part1

A pre-future look at an exciting concept (this version now correct screen aspect)

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• Science
• space
• future

[LesJulien]

Hi CA,

Thank you for your interesting comments. The whole idea of producing "The Space Elevator" is to promote scientific input, such as yours, and to attempt to spread the space elevator concept to a much wider audience. culminating eventually in producing a more "correct" version. Thanks again.

LJ

[LesJulien]

Hi Robotguy,

Thank you for your interesting comments and suggestions. The whole idea of producing "The Space Elevator" movie is an attempt to promote general interest in the concept, a sort of 'spreading the Gospel.' Any suggestions, corrections,or ideas, is, of course, an added bonus, so thank you again. Research and development to produce the Elevator will mean raising hard cash. World wide pre-knowledge of the subject may assist in this regard.

All the Best,

LJ

[z1ny]

I totally agree, you can eliminate entire shots. I'm falling asleep here.

[AndrianGo]

Entertaining the idea to mass produce carbon nanotubes with genetically engineered biological cells. Does anyone have/(know someone) with good biological background to at least entertain this idea. I'd love to do it myself that means 15 years of school. I don't know when I'll have that time.

[tomdan15]

who is watching this in 2011

[matthewakian2]

For all you scientific minded people (cause I don't have a clue), would it be possible to have a space station in low earth orbit (or maybe a bit higher), where a section of the space station could be lowered on a tether into the Earth's atmosphere, low enough that a high flying plane or similar could board, and then be pulled up?

[WDLawless]

What would the return trip to earth be like? We have to return the climbers to Earth for reuse.

[Wraithofvolsunga]

@ogicabp4u

we can't make carbon tubes more than a few micrometers long, thrusters in space require fuel, making it inefficient, tension cannot be maintained at the same time as a geostationary orbit.

It won't slice the plane in two if it hits it broadside. wind resistance goes both ways, not multiplying its effect at all, especially if its a tethered object. Geostationary orbits must be on the equator, which, due to plate tectonics and convection currents, is mostly a big fault line.

[TheWildKiwi]

it's probably a good video and a lot of work but it IS SOOOOOOOOOO SLOW AND that makes it boring...

[folkflying2]

Has anyone pointed out that the concept dates back to 1895; when Konstantin Tsiolkovsky

proposed a free-standing "Tsiolkovsky" tower reaching from the surface of Earth to geostationary orbit?

Nice video. Looks like a lot of work went into it.

[xXNorthWeapon74Xx]

@Netyaroze1 Didn't think about it that way. Thanks though

[Netyaroze1]

@xXNorthWeapon74Xx

You can bet that around a space elevator there will be a no flight zone. Such a thing will cost hundreds of billion dollars. And they will make sure that there wont be any planes. And the cable is so thin it would be a huge coincidence.

Birds wont do anything a bird would have no effect. The cable has to be extremly strong. There will be forces which are hundred times stronger then any possible natural catastrophe except asteroids and a hit is unlikely almost impossible.

[ogicabp4u]

it will slice the plane in two. the flock of birds would break thier beaks so to speak. I'm sure they are not foing to plant it in an earthquake zone!

the carbon tubes are stronger than diamond. (by a very large margin!) any instability can be rectified in space with thrusters attached to the top of the elevator. Any effect will be radial and therfore multiplied many thimes. The forece applied in space has no wind resistance = 1,000x more powerful. Tension is kept via gravity.

do ure hwk!!

[xXNorthWeapon74Xx]

What happen if a plane accidently crashes into it? Or even a whole flock of birds biting the elevator down. Or even nature it self.