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Japanese Begin Working On Space Elevator

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the you-can't-get-there-from-here dept.

thebryce writes "From cyborg housemaids and waterpowered cars to dog translators and rocket boots, Japanese boffins have racked up plenty of near-misses in the quest to turn science fiction into reality. Now the finest scientific minds of Japan are devoting themselves to cracking the greatest sci-fi vision of all: the space elevator. Man has so far conquered space by painfully and inefficiently blasting himself out of the atmosphere but the 21st century should bring a more leisurely ride to the final frontier. Japan is increasingly confident that its sprawling academic and industrial base can solve those issues, and has even put the astonishingly low price tag of a trillion yen (£5 billion) on building the elevator. Japan is renowned as a global leader in the precision engineering and high-quality material production without which the idea could never be possible."

5 of 696 comments (clear)

  1. if anyone can do it, Japan can... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    Don't look at the USA for innovation in any other area than "security". The USA will instead have all it's income tied up for the next several decades on "Homeland Security (Theater)" to spy on it's own citizens and possibly bailing out the rest of the commercial companies "too big to fail".

    Then Japan can lease it to us for top dollar.

  2. Re:No I didn't Read TFA by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    He will have to give up his job with the Irish space agency first though.

  3. Re:No I didn't Read TFA by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    Damn, just as the Irish were so close to working out how to stop the wind blowing the match out! Curse you Japan!

  4. Re:Just as a subnote... by SnapShot · · Score: 0, Troll

    An just think, after you've spend 70 times your initial estimate you've just about spent the same amount as the current banking bailout in the U.S. or five years of war in Iraq.

    What do you think is better for the economy (if you're going to be spending taxpayer money anyway; let's keep the libertarians out of this rhetorical question :-) ) $700B of science and engineering funding or $700B of bailouts to investment banks?

    --
    Waltz, nymph, for quick jigs vex Bud.
  5. Re:Only the Japanese or Chinese could pull it off by isorox · · Score: 0, Troll

    The Japanese giving the best chance because of their technological superiority over the Chinese.

    The Chinese just need to stand on each other shoulders