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Highlift Systems' Space Elevator In The News Again

Posted by timothy on from the fireman's-key dept.

Kris_J writes "Highlift Systems may have found a second location for the anchor of their space elevator -- Perth, Western Australia. Apparently we have the calm waters and international airport that it needs, amongst other things. Slashdot has covered this company's efforts before: Oct 9, 2002 and, earlier, August 13, 2002, but it's worth discussing again since '[recent funding] has been given momentum by the Columbia shuttle disaster.'"

1 of 589 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Perth not compatible with a geosync orbit by cpaluc · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I don't get it either. But as some of the other posts have mentioned, it wouldn't be orbiting, it would be getting 'swung' around by the earth.

    Would a physicist please correct the following?!

    I picture a tether at the equator going out at 90 degrees. If you move down to Perth, the tether will still go out at 90 degrees to the axis of rotation wouldn't it? That is, it would go out parallel to the tether at the equator. See diagram.

    X
    XX
    XXX
    XXXX
    XXXX---------O equator
    XXX
    XX---------O perth
    X

    So, does that mean that it wouldn't be vertical at perth but would go out at an apparent 31 degrees?

    Also, does that mean that the thing actually goes over all of the airspace between 31 degrees and just south of the equator? That is, because of the angle, would it actually go over, say, Indonesia's airspace.

    Parts of Indonesia are nearly 10 degrees south. Does a line drawn vertically from Indonesia intersect with the ribbon?