Space Elevators Going Up

MikShapi writes "CBC is running a new piece on the Space Elevator. Nothing dramatically new, as we're all still waiting for one of the many Carbon Nanotube research centers to announce they reached the famous 100GPa red line from page 10 of the NIAC Phase 2 Report, thus obtaining 'unobtainium' [pun intended], the material necessary to build the Elevator. The report predicts this will happen during the course of the next two years or so. It's then that the fun really starts - A REAL all-out space race, open to everyone with will and a national budget, winner probably getting to own space [read last paragraph]. In the meanwhile, we can all spread the word, discuss, debate and brainstorm every nook and cranny of the program here on Slashdot, and give Edwards a shoulder by giving the program every bit of mass-exposure we can."

Comments

Re:Nobody is going to build one of these.

[Jah-Wren Ryel]

That's why we need Star Wars - you know, SDI now MDA, Missile Defense. The USA has got the biggest military and with a decent missile defense system we can put the cable up somewhere in the very southernmost parts of the country so if it falls down, it won't fall on us. Nobody else can do a thing about because if they make trouble, we will just liberate their country and if they shoot missiles at us while we are building it, we can stop them!