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Scientist Sees Space Elevator in 15 Years

Posted by michael on from the dream-big dept.

bofh31337 writes "Scientist Bradley C. Edwards, head of the space elevator project at the Institute for Scientific Research, thinks an elevator that climbs 62,000 miles into space could be operating in 15 years. He pegs the cost at $10 billion, a pittance compared with other space endeavors. 'It's not new physics--nothing new has to be discovered, nothing new has to be invented from scratch,' he says. 'If there are delays in budget or delays in whatever, it could stretch, but 15 years is a realistic estimate for when we could have one up.' NASA already has given more than $500,000 to study the idea, and Congress has earmarked $2.5 million more."

27 of 503 comments (clear)

  1. no god this can be appening!!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    Who would stand Muzak for a 45 min ride.....

  2. 15 years? by bugnuts · · Score: 4, Funny

    that'll be the wait after pressing the UP button.

    Imagine the jerk that presses the "close door" button as you're running.

    1. Re:15 years? by Scaba · · Score: 4, Funny

      Dude, just take the stairs. You kids are sooo lazy today...

    2. Re:15 years? by AndroidCat · · Score: 4, Funny

      Or worse, that some kids had pressed all the floor buttons.

      --
      One line blog. I hear that they're called Twitters now.
    3. Re:15 years? by mangu · · Score: 2, Funny
      Make the elevator cars disposable.


      Or make two, one "up", another "down". I once saw in a factory in Sweden an elevator system like this. It had a lot of one-person wooden cabins that ran non-stop in an endless loop, one side went up, the other down. People joked that, if you missed getting out in the last floor, you'd come down head first as the cabin turned around. Of course, those cabins hung from the cable so that they didn't get inverted at the top, but I never tried to check this.

    4. Re:15 years? by h4rm0ny · · Score: 2, Funny

      I once saw in a factory in Sweden an elevator system like this.

      It's called a patternoster. We had one at a place I worked (UK) and each 'box' held two people. Coming back from lunch one time, I found a queue of 12/13 people waiting to ride up - solution, I stepped into the one that was just disappearing into the ground. Two boxes later, I rise up in front of the still 8/9 people queuing.

      I don't know why but it was incredibly funny. I'm probably just childish. :p

      --

      Aide-toi, le Ciel t'aidera - Jeanne D'Arc.
  3. Some cautions by shawkin · · Score: 3, Funny

    This is a high performance, high stress ribbon
    This application has little room for error. Obviously.

    Wear on carbon nanotube ribbons may be significant.
    Carbon nanotube ribbons may be susceptible to significant deterioration from cosmic rays.
    Micrometeor impacts may also be a problem.

    If the ribbon fails, what do we do with 62,000 miles of ribbon?
    Oh wait, we build a Beowulf cluster of Christmas wrapping stores.

    And then there is the cost estimate.
    Low.

  4. As long as it's not an OTIS by mr_don't · · Score: 2, Funny

    Yeah, i wonder if it will have one of those burgundy phones for when it gets stuck...

  5. Re:A space elevator will not happen in 15 years... by Neil+Blender · · Score: 2, Funny


    Maybe you should take him on at longbets.org.

  6. In Space... by Zorilla · · Score: 5, Funny

    ...Nobody but you can hear the elevator music

    And consequently, nobody can hear you scream.

    --

    It would be cool if it didn't suck.
  7. Re:We've spent money for worse... by dilettante · · Score: 2, Funny
    Yeah, but the problem is that the reds will just blow the darn thing up and it'll wrap itself around the planet a couple of times killing everything in its path. Oh, no, wait, that's on Mars. Never mind.

  8. one pitfall they didn't mention by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    So I was on the Space Elevator last month, and 10 minutes into the ride a guy sitting next to me ripped one! "Sorry," he says, "I had spicy enchiladas for dinner last night." Longest trip of my life.

  9. Yikes by Tumbleweed · · Score: 3, Funny

    > At any reasonable speed, you're looking at a 24 to 48 hour trip

    That's a _shitload_ of crappy muzak, there! Better bring a fully-loaded iPod.

    And hope there's no crazy guy singing 'Roxanne' while you're in there.

  10. Maybe they should also... by Rinikusu · · Score: 4, Funny

    Build a roller coaster from space, to the earth... Slow ride up.. then massive whoosh on the way down with plenty of loops and turns and upside-down goodness! Imagine the tourism dollars that could go fund the lowly freight elevator next to it! And we could call it.. The.. Great Space Coaster! And hire a GNU named Gary! Or Richard...

    But I digress...

    --
    If you were me, you'd be good lookin'. - six string samurai
  11. Two birds with one stone by siliconjunkie · · Score: 2, Funny

    You could have "love in an elevator" *AND* join the "mile high club" at the same time!

  12. Re:#1 thing not to say about a space elevator cabl by ari_j · · Score: 5, Funny

    #2: In emergency, USE STAIRS

  13. Elevator? Hmmph by bravehamster · · Score: 3, Funny

    I'll just wait for the Space Escalator, thank you very much.

    Just you parents make sure your kids aren't wearing loose jeans on the escalator!

    --
    ---- El diablo esta en mis pantalones! Mire, mire!
  14. Re:Working elevators on Earth by kidgenius · · Score: 2, Funny

    Ah, you must be in the Manzanita dorms @ ASU. All 4 of those elevators are in the top 50 most serviced elevators for the company.

  15. Re:Radiation by Deanasc · · Score: 2, Funny
    people would pass though the Van Allen belt for a rather long time

    Yeah but then you get to stretch your arms out and watch your girlfriend catch fire.

    I am so old school geek!

    --
    I've hit Karma 50 and gotten a Score:5, Troll... I win!
  16. Re:How Far? by mangu · · Score: 2, Funny
    I think the 62000 miles part must be so the centrifugal force keeps the cable taut.


    Nah, it's just another NASA rocket scientist [sic] trying to figure out that unit-conversion software thingie.

  17. Re:Radiation by Anonymous+Cowtard · · Score: 3, Funny

    Um... Mr. Fantastic's girlfriend went invisible. It was her brother that "caught fire". Unless there was a funky undertone to the story that I never caught about some forbidden male/male mutie love goin' on.

  18. In other news ... by spectasaurus · · Score: 2, Funny

    Professor Frinkley, head of the non-gravitational society, has stated that no-gravity suits are only 15 years and $10 billion away. Upon leaving, Dr Frinkley made us pay for his coffee and donut and asked us for $10 billion more.

  19. You just know by bXTr · · Score: 2, Funny

    some smartassed little kid's gonna push all the buttons.

    --
    It's a very dark ride.
  20. Re:Radiation by scotch · · Score: 2, Funny
    World's largest water bong.

    --
    XML causes global warming.
  21. In other news by bl8n8r · · Score: 4, Funny

    Experts are finding drug abuse, particularly crack, is rising in the scientific and technology fields.

    --
    boycott slashdot February 10th - 17th check out: altSlashdot.org
  22. only $14k from each slashdotter should do it. by deathcloset · · Score: 2, Funny

    that's only $1400 per year for a decade. $116 a month, about $4 a day! if we all just stop eating taco bell one meal a day we can do this! So, who do I make a paypal donation to? who's the leader in carbon nanotube research? I have a big, fat $20 bill with 'C' written all over it! seriously, I do. I wrote it with a marker.

  23. Re:Where's the tower? by NoMoreNicksLeft · · Score: 2, Funny

    The arab-looking guy said he only wanted to learn how to pilot the boat, not dock it...