Space Elevator in 15 years?

[DarkStar]

This would be AWESOME:

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=624&u=/ap/20040625/ap_on_sc/space_elevator_3&printer=1

 

[dura]

It seems a bit archaic compared to other, most likely more expensive ways. Oh well, I'd still hit it.

 

[DarkStar]

It seems a bit archaic compared to other, most likely more expensive ways. Oh well, I'd still hit it.

Archaic? This thing is advanced as shit. It'll happen eventually, its by far the cheapest way to get stuff into orbit.

 

[SnowBall]

Why does this make me think of DM-Morpheus from UT?

 

[nicrd]

I think it would be easier to go in space on a magic carpet than an elevator.

 

[SnowBall]

I think it would be easier to go in space on a magic carpet than an elevator.

Then theres the safety issue. Hope the genie blessed the carpet with a lot of magic dust and a few fishbowl helmets....

 

[nicrd]

Then theres the safety issue. Hope the genie blessed the carpet with a lot of magic dust and a few fishbowl helmets....

Dont worry about security nothing could happen. Are you saying once in space your going to run out of air ? You dont need a genie to figure this one out, just take a deep breath before leaving earth and your good to go straigt to the sun.

 

[falconwind]

Hmm, carbon nanotubes, eh? Wow, those are getting popular. (Carbon nanotubes, if I remember correctly, are superstrong molecules composed of carbon atoms that organically (as in 'of their own volition') form into hollow cylinders). Ther problem of a space elevator is tensile strength of the materials. Within the Earth's gravity, the elevator will essentially be like and other elevator, with the payload moving upwards and putting stress on the top of the elevator 'shaft'. But since this thing is so huge and essentially moving in geosynchronous orbit, there will be a point where the elevator inverts, and the stress is put on the bottom instead. Now 13 tons is nothing, but think about the thousands and thousands of tons that comprise the elevator itself.

 

[Tork]

an elevator that climbs 62,000 miles into space.

:stare:

 

[Kyorisu]

About damn time I reckon. How hard is it to put a satelite into geosyntric (Did I spell that right?) orbit and drop a cable down to earth.

 

[Ch1cKeN]

I hate elevators. and their stupid music.
I'm claustrophic. So i hate it when lots of other people are on. Being stuck in one for more than a week would drive me crazy.

 

[DarkStar]

I hate elevators. and their stupid music.
I'm claustrophic. So i hate it when lots of other people are on. Being stuck in one for more than a week would drive me crazy.

It's not an elevator in the traditional sense. If they were doing space tourism it would probably be more like an airplane.

 

[Ch1cKeN]

hmm tourism in space eh?
nah. I would need tons of money. I was never into space. It's much too vast.

 

[Varsity]

I hate elevators. and their stupid music.
I'm claustrophic. So i hate it when lots of other people are on. Being stuck in one for more than a week would drive me crazy.

A week? More like 30 minutes.

 

[Lil' Timmy]

i hate the way elevators always try to kill you in your sleep

 

[LittleB]

10 billion? HA! Yeah, more like trillion+. Anyone interested in space elevators should read the Mars trilogy by Kim Stanley Robinson. It's got a shitload of info about a space elevator.

 

[DarkStar]

10 billion? HA! Yeah, more like trillion+. Anyone interested in space elevators should read the Mars trilogy by Kim Stanley Robinson. It's got a shitload of info about a space elevator.

Actually the concept of a space elevator was first invented by Arthur C. Clarke in the novel "Fountains of Paradise."

 

[LittleB]

I didnt say it was invented

 

[Murray]

$10 billion!? For a damn elevator into space!??
Why oh why waste money on such a stupid thing?
Think what people that could be saved here on earth if we gave that amount of money away to charity.

 

[Neutrino]

About damn time I reckon. How hard is it to put a satelite into geosyntric (Did I spell that right?) orbit and drop a cable down to earth.

Thanks for a good laugh.

 

[dura]

Archaic? This thing is advanced as shit. It'll happen eventually, its by far the cheapest way to get stuff into orbit.

I was talking about the concept of using an elevator.

 

[Eejit]

$10 billion!? For a damn elevator into space!??
Why oh why waste money on such a stupid thing?
Think what people that could be saved here on earth if we gave that amount of money away to charity.

Stupid? In the long term it would save a lot of money compared to the costs of shuttle flights.
It's the most economical way of getting into space, after the initial cost it will eventually pay for itself.

 

[Bad^Hat]

I was talking about the concept of using an elevator.

Clearly you have not read Cannon God Exaxxion!!

 

[Tinneth]

whats the point in a lift that goes into space? I wouldnt like to be in it when it breaks down

 

[KagePrototype]

It'd be funny if it was a glass elevator.

 

[Direwolf]

They'd likely tack on an escape vehicle similar to the one for the ISS, so you'd have a way to get out in the case of something bad.

$10 billion!? For a damn elevator into space!??
Why oh why waste money on such a stupid thing?
Think what people that could be saved here on earth if we gave that amount of money away to charity.

Well the first thing to consider is that this is a ridiculously small amount of money. And if you build this thing then NASA and accompanying organizations see such a massive reduction in spending that we'd technically gain money from it. And if we say "Why not give it to charity?" everytime we want to make something then absolutely nothing would ever be done.

 

[falconwind]

$10 billion!? For a damn elevator into space!??
Why oh why waste money on such a stupid thing?
Think what people that could be saved here on earth if we gave that amount of money away to charity.

For countries such as the USA and... and... uh... the former Soviet Union (?)... $10 Billion is peanuts. They spend that much on researching toilet paper for their soldiers.

 

[Kyorisu]

after the initial cost it will eventually pay for itself.

Bingo...Aslong as whats coming down is equal to whats going up the elevator pays itself off after a few cargo loads.

 

[DarkStar]

Bingo...Aslong as whats coming down is equal to whats going up the elevator pays itself off after a few cargo loads.

Ahh, but you're going to make most of your money taking things up. Tourists, satellites, etc...This thing would probably cost more than 10 billion, but yes it would pay for itself in no time.

 

[Alec_85]

FFS get to work & build us a couple of Warp Reactors... Stupid NASA :E

 

[scribblehead]

I heard about this idea a few years back - seems like a genuine viable solution, and like you guys have already pointed out to the ignorant....its building cost would easily pay itself in the years to come.

I would much rather use an 'elevator' than use a friggin spaceshuttle

 

[CrazyHarij]

i hate the way elevators always try to kill you in your sleep

Maybe you should move out of cleveland heights..