Future of Space Elevator Looks Shaky

Posted by kdawson on Tuesday December 9, 2008 @06:43AM from the a.-c.-clarke-quaking-in-his-grave dept.

lurking_giant writes "In a report on NewScientist.com, researchers working on development of a space elevator (an idea we have discussed numerous times) have determined that the concept is not stable. Coriolis force on the moving climbers would cause side loading that would make stability extremely difficult, while solar wind would cause shifting loads on the geostationary midpoint. All of this would likely make it necessary to add thrusters, which would consume fuel and negate the benefits of the concept. Alternatively, careful choreography of multiple loads might ease the instability, again with unknown but negative economic impacts."

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QUICK MODS, HAVE A KNEEJERK AND MOD HIM DOWN!! by Anonymous Coward · 2008-12-09 08:55 · Score: -1, Flamebait

after all, isn't that how you usually react to useful, constructive criticism you shallow fucks? Oh wait, not this time, because MozeeToby isn't extremely well-known/popular compared to liquidpele, so it's okay for liquidpele to point out how he could have done better. I guess those two terms of your bias equation cancel each other out, so maybe you're forced to be objective. This time.