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| Science & Technology |
| A Lunar Space Elevator Is Actually Feasible & Inexpensive, Scientists Find |
| 2019-09-19 |
| h/t Instapundit the Columbia study differs from previous proposal in an important way: instead of building the elevator from the Earth’s surface (which is impossible with today’s technology), it would be anchored on the moon and stretch some 200,000 miles toward Earth until hitting the geostationary orbit height (about 22,236 miles above sea level), at which objects move around Earth in lockstep with the planet’s own rotation. |
| Posted by:g(r)omgoru |
| #12 Well if the Moon has valuable items for export it might pay for two way traffic materials at near vacuum for manufactured items. Expect a drop in cheese futures as shelters are tunneled into the Moon for shelter. |
| Posted by: Clyde Dribble8052 2019-09-19 22:06 |
| #11 but how can the energy use be justified???? |
| Posted by: USN, Ret. 2019-09-19 20:57 |
| #10 Ummm...no... The Lunar end of the elevator goes around the earth once a month. For the elevator to remain perpendicular to the moon (and thus not wrap around the moon) the other end has to go around the earth once a month as well. However, satellites occupying that orbit (and everything else,) would have to go around the earth once a day (29 times faster). Since there's only a narrow strip of orbit that has that characteristic orbital time, the other end of the elevator would be subject to having weather and telecommunications satellites whiz right by it. More seriously, any rocket getting up there will have to match speed with that other end to transfer goodies and materials. however, it won't be going fast enough to STAY in that orbit.... I don't dispute that the elevator would be feasible, but USING it would be a tougher matter... |
| Posted by: Ptah 2019-09-19 18:31 |
| #9 Bernardo De La Paz elevator. |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2019-09-19 15:23 |
| #8 Looney Soace Elevator |
| Posted by: Lex 2019-09-19 15:20 |
| #7 It's been tried before. From this end of course. Primitive engineering back in Nimrod's time, but the basic idea was the same. A collaboration project wasting people's money and attention on impracticable ideas just to keep the academics amused. |
| Posted by: Dron66046 2019-09-19 15:10 |
| #6 LuNoHo? |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2019-09-19 14:09 |
| #5 Compared to a monorail railgun that could send something anywhere? Another case of "Yes, we can, but why?" |
| Posted by: magpie 2019-09-19 13:54 |
| #4 It's all groovy until the cable breaks. |
| Posted by: SteveS 2019-09-19 13:47 |
| #3 Love this time of year. Leaves start changing, getting pumpkin dreams, talk about the feasibility of some sort of space elevator. Gonna try to hook up with the cable or whatnot, because it won't be still, and pull against gravity for a good part of that trip? |
| Posted by: swksvolFF 2019-09-19 13:39 |
| #2 but you would need a rocket to get to the geostationary orbit entry point I don't see how this is an improvement |
| Posted by: lord garth 2019-09-19 12:48 |
| #1 at which objects kinda move around Earth in lockstep with the planet’s own rotation. |
| Posted by: Skidmark 2019-09-19 11:33 |