Slashdot Mirror
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."
Weightlesness, radiation, and hard vacuum.
Will they have emergency override controls on the cargo deck? Watch 'Aliens' if you don't understand why this is necessary.
"If the whole thing fell somehow like you cut it at the counterweight, cut it way up at the counterweight, it would wrap around the Earth a couple of times," Laubscher says.
Well, that's fine. Calculate the length of that sucker just right and you've got a quick, exhilarating way to travel from one point on Earth to another.
The coolest voice ever.
thus obtaining 'unobtainium'
OK for someone who can hardly remember a thing about High Scool Chemistry, Unobtainium, what's that? A new term for good karma?
Karma? Hey I just call it as I see it.
In the post-9/11 world, the first space elevator, built by the United States, would be a tempting target for terrorism.
Not if our brand-new Department of Homespace Security has anything to say about it!
Imagine, if you will, a solid 3D column of security, with an outer edge in the shape of the U.S., starting at the U.S. and extending infinitely into space. I think if we tried, we could even make it glow the whole way. Put a scare into some of those E.T.'s.
The coolest voice ever.
"At year fifteen the first entity has six cables up including two 106 kg cables, has a manned station at geosynchronous, has recouped much of the construction cost through selling two cables and through hundreds of launches on its eight cables,
and is beginning construction of a Mars cable"
There is plans for a mars cable now? Isnt that um, impossible given our orbits in relation to each other?
It's nice that we're on our way to creating the materials needed for a space elevator, but where are we going to find a big enough rock to attach to the other end?
Second Floor Scottie!!
Look for the AFL/CIO to get in on the act, Can you imagine how much money you could hide/steal/launder on a construction project of this size !
Such is the case with a group of scientists from the National Research Laboratory in Los Alamos, N.M. (''Los Alamos'' is Spanish for ''More than One Alamo''). According to an Associated Press story that I am not making up, these scientists are proposing to build an elevator that would be 62,000 miles high. That's right: 62,000 MILES, which is 32 million stories. At the top would be a revolving restaurant serving what the scientists promise will be ''really mediocre food.''
- Dave Barry
"If you are an idealist it doesn't matter what you do or what goes on around you, because it isn't real anyway."-R.P.W.
build one there first maybe?
every day http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random
Can you imagine making love in THAT elevator?
Talk about Mile High Club...
The problem with socialism is that they always run out of other people's money. - Margaret Thatcher
2 Things, Here in Akron Ohio, the Now home of Televangelist Earnest Angley, the building he now offupies was televangelist Rex Humbards previously, Rex started to build a HUGE Rotating restraunt on a pillar, something along the lines of the "space" needles, He ran out of Money before he could finish, so now at one of the highest points of town, a large white tower stands with no purpose, everyone here calls it Rex's Erection
A second note that almost killed me with laughter was , well let me start with I used to be in the building trades, one day while at a supply house, a New blue truck pulled up, the sign on the side ? "Short STEEL Erection" I was dying, they specailzed in Steel reinforced concrete. I always love that one I think they were out of Canton OH
They need to find an upsidaisium mine. It has
all of the prerequisite properties to make just
such a silly project succeed. Beware that Boris
and Natasha don't find it first.
Ohh Google, can you tell me info about "high altitude balloons"
And the good lord google said: even my children have flown over 82,000+ miles or 131962.6 kilometers using boyancy, which is way above AC's stated 35,785 km geostationary orbit my child.
So lord google, what is the altitude for geostationary orbit?
And the lord google replied: 35,787 km above mean sea level.
That was 82000 FEET = 15 miles.
I can see the headlines in 2018 already:
OPENING OF NEW SPACE ELEVATOR ENDS IN FIASCO
During the official opening of the first space elevator
a tragedy happened when the president was asked
to "cut the ribbon". This prematurely destroyed the
twenty billion dollar project, sending a rock with a
100,000 km long ribbon attached to it into space.
Read more on pages 2, 3, 4, 6 and 8.
You could basically do all of the things the space station does
What does the Space Station do?
Indubitably.
"would float back to Earth like paper and no one would get hurt."
Except for the mass injuries from paper cuts.
In the free world the media isn't government run; the government is media run.
This thing is going to wick the earth's atmosphere out into space. Then they'll feel stupid.
Can you explain how this 'centrifugal force' is holding the cable up? I've never heard of such a thing :)
"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."
Yes, I imagine that that will make all the difference. In future years, the touchstone of scientific and engineering excellence will be "Was it discussed, debated and brainstormed on Slashdot or not?"
The heaviest element known to science was recently discovered. The element, tentatively named Administratium, has no protons or electrons and thus has an atomic number of 0. However, it does have 1 neutron, 125 assistant neutrons, 75 vice neutrons and 111 assistant vice neutrons. This gives it an atomic mass of 312. These 312 particles are held together by a force that involves the continuous exchange of meson-like particles called morons.
Since it has no electrons, Administratium is inert. However, it can be detected chemically as it impedes every reaction it comes in contact with. According to the discoverers, a minute amount of Administratium caused one reaction to take over four days to complete when it would have normally occurred in less than one second. Administratium has a normal half-life of approximately three years, at which time it does not actually decay but instead undergoes a reorganisation in which assistant neutrons, vice neutrons and assistant vice neutrons exchange places. Some studies have shown that the atomic mass actually increases after each reorganisation.
Research at other laboratories indicates that Administratium occurs naturally in the atmosphere. It tends to concentrate at certain points such as government agencies, large corporations and universities and can usually be found in the newest, best appointed and best maintained buildings.
Scientists point out that Administratium is known to be toxic at any level of concentration and can easily destroy any productive reaction where it is allowed to accumulate. Attempts are being made to determine how Administratium can be controlled to prevent irreversible damage, but results to date are not promising.
view's going to be good though.
the weak will inherit the Earth
Doesn't matter. We'll just beat them up and take it back.
Maybe Chicago can do it? We already have a 4 billion dollar annual budget. Just tack on another 2.50 in cigarette taxes (ok, I'm a bit bitter about the latest tax increase, sue me!)....oh, and we can start it from atop the Sears tower to save 1,450 feet of building time ;)