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Calling the Space Elevator

Posted by michael on from the keeps-hands-and-arms-inside-the-car dept.

CornfedPig writes "SPACE.com has an article that suggests building an elevator to a 100,000 km-high penthouse could be possible within the next few years at a cost of about $5B US. Widespread availability of low-cost carbon nanotubes appears to be the gating factor. Existence of such an elevator could drop the cost of lifting things (satellites, people, CowboyNeal) into orbit to a couple of hundred dollars a pound. Anyone remember Clarke's The Fountains of Paradise?" Space elevator stories come along every few months; we never seem to be getting any closer to actually doing it. I imagine it will happen at some point in my lifetime, but...

5 of 72 comments (clear)

  1. Lifting CowboyNeal by LastToKnow · · Score: 2, Funny

    Correct me if I'm wrong, but doens't using a space elavator to lift things steal from the angular momentum of the earth? I mean, you'd only lose a negligable amount from lifting satellites, and space stations, but CowboyNeal? I don't want to end up on the "permanant dark side of the earth".

  2. WOW! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    If we had a few hundred space elevators on the planet, how long would it take before we could move the entire mass of our planet into space?

    1. Re:WOW! by WolfWithoutAClause · · Score: 4, Funny

      > If we had a few hundred space elevators on the planet, how long would it take before we could move
      > the entire mass of our planet into space?

      The Earth is already in space. Amazing huh?

      --

      -WolfWithoutAClause

      "Gravity is only a theory, not a fact!"
  3. For the consideration of others. by SuperguyA1 · · Score: 3, Funny

    Given the length of time your ride on the space elevator and for the consideration of others. PLEASE do not ride the elevator after eating mexican food.

    Thanx,
    -The managment

    --
    "as plurdled gabbleblotchits on a lurgid bee" - Prostetnic Vogon Jeltz. (One man's humorous is another mans flamebait)
  4. Love in a Space Elevator by PhxBlue · · Score: 2, Funny

    "Oh, hello Mr. Tyler. . . going down?"

    --
    !#@%*)anks for hanging up the phone, dear.