Space Elevators Could Be Lethal

Maggie McKee writes, "A new study reports that passengers on space elevators of current design could be killed by radiation. Even traveling at 200 kilometers per hour, passengers would spend several days in the Van Allen radiation belts, long enough to kill them." Looks like the elevator scientists will get this one solved before liftoff.

Comments

tinfoil hats

[Anonymous Coward]

will tinfoil hats help?

Aqua viva

[TheSHAD0W]

One of the most popular (and massive) items that will need to be shipped to orbit will be water; and water makes a good shield against radiation. Just make your passenger cars with a living unit inside a larger freight unit, and fill the gap in between with water. If you used filtered fresh water you could even have windows on both walls and be able to look through.

Re:Aqua viva

[maxume]

Radiation does bad things to dna. It mostly just heats water. Ooooh, scary, somewhat warmer water.

Re:Aqua viva

[malsdavis]

Many water companies already treat tap water with gamma radiation to remove things like bacteria.

Radiation - unlike radioactive particles - won't cause any further radioactivity within water.

Re:Aqua viva

[GIL_Dude]

Right, and since it expands when it freezes, the people in the "living compartment inside" will not only be frozen to death, they will also be squished.

Re:Aqua viva

[Moofie]

Do you seriously think this would be a major design impediment? Look, you figure out how to make a structure 36,000+ miles long, I'll take care of the glorified container truck.

Thank you, whistleblower!!

[cliffiecee]

This is why the First Amendment is so important- to expose Corporate Greed! Greed which led space elevator manufacturers to produce elevators without the neccesary safety precautions. How many people have to DIE in the name of profit? How long will it be before space elevator travel is actually made safe? It should have been done BEFORE the elevators were even built, damnit!!

Thank you Maggie McKee, for planting a seed for the grassroots "Space Elevator Safety" movement!!

Re:Oh, the horror!

[A beautiful mind]

Well contrary to the popular opinion, scientists aren't idiots, so they thought about the Van Allen radiation belts long before any sensationalist headline came up with it.

Stupid headline

[nsayer]

Space elevators can be lethal

So can regular ones. Your point?

Other risks!

[StikyPad]

Additionally, the space elevator is expected to be very tall, taking riders several miles above the surface of the earth where, experts say, they could fall to a harrowing death. And if that's not bad enough -- it turns out that if the earth were to suddenly stop spinning, the entire space elevator could come crashing back down to the ground!!! I, for one, will from now on refer to them only as "Space Elevators of Death!" in order to raise awareness about this potentially leathal issue!

Re:Yeah...

[COMON$]

Never underestimate the arrogance of man. Even if we didn't need the tether, we would still create it because we could. So your statement will join a long line of comments through history.

"Yeah - Like China will build a 4000 mile long wall."

"Yeah - We are going to build a tunnel under the English Channel."

"Yeah - We are going to dig a ditch to let boats cross America."

"Yeah - The Egyptians are going to build a gigantic pyramid that will still be standing in 4500 years."

"Yeah - We will propel a highly explosive cargo ship to the moon carrying people."

Well known effects of Van Allen Belt radiation...

[Microsift]

Everyone knows exposure to this radiation is nearly always benign...in fact, 75% of the people exposed to this radiation found it to be beneficial. The remaining 25% were less pleased, apparently having super-strength and near invulnerability does not make up for the fact that one's body is covered with rocks and people call you a "Thing."