Space Elevators Face Wobble Problem

NewScientist is reporting that while the strength of the tether has long been considered the main problem in building a space elevator, a new study suggests that a dangerous wobbling problem may also be a serious obstacle. "Previous studies have noted that gravitational tugs from the Moon and Sun, as well as pressure from gusts of solar wind, would shake the tether. That could potentially make it veer into space traffic, including satellites and bits of space debris. A collision could cut the tether and wreck the space elevator."

Comments

Re:I am more concerned about the static problem

[JesseMcDonald]

Lighting rods repel lighting, not draw it.

Nope, sorry. Lightning Rods attract electrical current, thereby drawing it away from other structures that would be damaged by it.

They do both. As the storm builds up the lightning rods help to diffuse the charge. This is one reason why they have sharp ends; electrons leave a charged conductor more readily at points of higher curvature. The pathway thus created then becomes the preferred (low-resistance) route to ground in the event of an actual lightning strike.

launch loops

[nguy]

It seems to me that, at this point, launch loops are a much more realistic and practical choice for a launch structure than space elevators.

Unlike space eleveators, launch loops require no exotic materials (just iron and steel), are essentially self-erecting, are anchored, and accelerate people quickly through the radiation belt.

We could probably build a launch loop in a decade or two, if we embarked on an Apollo-like program.

Re:Then why not a space escalator?

[KDR_11k]

You hold a piece of string with a weight at the other end and you need a certain minimum angular velocity if you want to spin that around you. If you go too slow, the rope will simply wind up around you NO MATTER what material you use.

The experiment with the string requires you to keep the weight moving by pulling it with the string, a real satellite does not get pulled by a wire, it moves by its own inertia. The wire isn't what's keeping it in orbit, that's the combination of centrifugal force and gravity.