Japanese Begin Working On Space Elevator

Some of the replies here crack me up.
This would be quite a development...but, as others seem to think, it seems a bit hard to achieve realistically at this point.
I definitely would not want to be the FIRST person to test it out.. that's for sure.


"Oops, the elevator malfunctioned... enjoy your plunge back to Earth!"

actually this is very possible. I think they will have it in say 10-15yrs if the economy doesn't crash. Think about it this way. A spider can dangle from a web several feet long. The same principal would apply here. make a gigantic spider(euphanism) in space, that produces perfect carbon nano tubes. The tubs would be attached to the space station in orbit. As it runs out of fuel, ship more to the space station, fill it up, then have the spider drop back down. The tubes I'm thinking would be around 2-3 in diameter, and you would need 5-8 of them. As this spider is building down. construct a electro magnetic cannon with the exit being exactly where you are building down from. As the magnet increases the propulsion of the payload to X amount, the 5-8 strings would have magnetic oscilating pivots that would basically escalate the payload up kinda like how an inch worm would, this ofcourse would occur at 50-100mph. Slow, but considering you could have a nuclear power plant here on earth providing the power to it, as well as the station above, very do able. Additionally, once you had enough waste built up, you could send it up the elevator, then deposit it at the moon. At the moon, there could be a waste processing plant to turn around and enrich the waste to make fissable material necessary to power plants there to produce the raw materials necessary to feed the spider as it comes down. Additionally, once the elevator was complete multiple platforms could be built with the material to expand to the moon, and eventually the spider technology could be adapted to make LARGE 20ft in diameter hollow tubes which could then be equiped for colonization of the moon. Drill 30ft wide hole, drop tub in, add dome, repeat. interconnect them, keep drilling to mine the materials, while at the same time increase living space.

Just my thoughts.

Another of Sir Arthur C Clarkes ideas, same as the satellites.

Link to article

The space elevator would be anchored to a platform similar to an oil rig (but much larger) in the sea off Japans coast. This gives much more space to use the sea as an anchor with heavy weighted buoy systems and allows for a degree of "float".

The other end in space would be a platform in geosynchronous orbit in line with the platform on Earth.

We already have everything we need to make both platforms, and the "riders" which are the "vehicles" that will travel up and down the "cable"

The issue now is the production of the "cable" which wil nan tube like material.

You see, regular steel would break under just it's own weight as the "cable" would be so long as to collapse from the weight of itself.

Carbon nano tubes in a lattice type structure are hundreds of times stronger and hundreds of times lighter, making a space elevator possible.

The second issue is making the cable would need to be accomplished in space. The logistics and payload capacity needed to shuttle the completed cable up to the platform in space is just too much. We would need a supertanker sized shuttle to get it up there.

So the easiest way is to shuttle raw material up, and then produce the "cable" in space on the platform than let the cable "coil down" to the platform below.

The big win in this situation is now how cheap it becomes to move item into space...from $10,000 a pound on the space shuttle to hundreds per pound on an elevator system....

www.socialtext.net...

This link might interest some of you. I don't see how the Japanese CAN do something like this by themselves. I don't see ANY indiviudal nation doing this by themselves, not at first anyway.

What about using nanotech to make nanotubes? Wouldn't it be possible

Originally posted by DisabledVet
So the easiest way is to shuttle raw material up, and then produce the "cable" in space on the platform than let the cable "coil down" to the platform below.

I believe the idea for manufacturing the cable has always been for enough material for an increadbly thin cable to be sent up to the geostationary platform, one end anchored and basically some sort of robot will 'spin' the initial thread back down to the surface - this is likely to be as thin as kite string - they successively larger robots will be sent up and down constantly building up the the nano structure - it would probably take years of runs - but it's going to snowball - as the cable is stronger it can build it's self faster - and then also run up additional cables.

Of corse this will also be how the cables will 'self maintain' them selves

Space elevator.. bravo. Wonder why the US doesn't help Japan to accomplish these goals? A culture or language barrier perhaps? This the nano technology *really* going to accomplish the design goals? Pretty fascinating if you ask me.

reply to post by computerwiz32


Believe it or not.
They had one of these elevators to space on a
Star Trek Voyager episode!
Neelix and Tuvok rode it all the way up.

I think this is possible. If not soon, then one day.

One thing's for sure. I'd hate to be stuck in an elevator a hundred miles up.

Wasn't this Aurthor C.Clarke's idea?I remember Richard Hoagland saying this idea was impossible.Not that what he says is sacrosanct or anything.This sounds cool.I hope they pull this off.

Has anyone got a picture model of how it will look like?

Originally posted by meadowfairy
Has anyone got a picture model of how it will look like?

Unfortunately this gives new meaning to being stuck in the elevator. Then again as I was typing this I heard Aerosmith in my head singing Love in an elevator. So who knows it could work.

Originally posted by seejanerun
Unfortunately this gives new meaning to being stuck in the elevator. Then again as I was typing this I heard Aerosmith in my head singing Love in an elevator. So who knows it could work.

"We're sorry for the inconvenience, a technician is being sent on the next shuttle launch in 3 months to investigate the problem"

Does anyone know just how long somthing like this would take to build?
Im curious, It seems a little extravagant in planning being that whole new methods of construction are needed.
Can the world handle the resources and cost aswell?

Personally I think the whole idea is BS, I mean I believe it is possible and I also believe that people could do it in the very very near future but the japanese are allways yapping about large projects they never build.

In all honesty I'd expect this to be built by some rich prince in Dubai before the Japanese.

The Japanese are lightyears ahead of the rest of the world in terms of electronic and robotic advancement.

If there is anyone that can accomplish this it is the Japanese. I give them 100% support and I hope to see this as a working solution soon.

reply to post by Reddupo


Oh, my!

reply to post by Kryties


I too offer 100% support for what its worth, but with all do respect even though they have the imagination to accomplish it doesnt mean they have the means. A project of that immensity would require more than one nations resources( Im basing that purely on speculation) and didnt they talk on several occasions about building large skyscrapers which they have yet to construct.

www.asianoffbeat.com...

I also think a building called Sky city was their idea as well.
Back in 1993 I watched a beyond 2000 series wher they talked about wanting to build a 7 mile high pyramid.

Look If anyone can do it it is definitely the Japanese, they have the WILL, the MOTIVATION, and SAKI!!! So yeah I 100% beleive they can do it but I dont know, it seems to me that from an engineering stand point anyway they have (attention deficit disorder). They jump from one great idea to the next never quite finishing what they started.

Oh well thats how great ideas come into play I guess.

[edit on 23-9-2008 by snowen20]

[edit on 23-9-2008 by snowen20]

[edit on 23-9-2008 by snowen20]

Originally posted by snowen20
reply to post by Kryties

 

I too offer 100% support for what its worth, but with all do respect even though they have the imagination to accomplish it doesnt mean they have the means. A project of that immensity would require more than one nations resources( Im basing that purely on speculation) and didnt they talk on several occasions about building large skyscrapers which they have yet to construct.

www.asianoffbeat.com...

I also think a building called Sky city was their idea as well.
Back in 1993 I watched a beyond 2000 series wher they talked about wanting to build a 7 mile high pyramid.

Look If anyone can do it it is definitely the Japanese, they have the WILL, the MOTIVATION, and SAKI!!! So yeah I 100% beleive they can do it but I dont know, it seems to me that from an engineering stand point anyway they have (attention deficit disorder). They jump from one great idea to the next never quite finishing what they started.


[edit on 23-9-2008 by snowen20]

Actually the physical resources required would be well within any 1st world country's economical grasp.

One of the pictures I posted above details a time line of both advancing research leading to final completion... they will begin to build it and improve on the theory as the progress.

With respect to the "ADD" nature of the Japanese with lofty ideas I pose the following completed large project:

Completed: Kansai international airport. It is a floating airport:




This engineering spectacle certainly would prove that they can build the earth base needed for a space elevator.

Next, we already have an existing orbiting platform in space that only needs to be added on to and retrofitted for the task:

The international space station:





I think its entirely possible to create the space elevator.

And also remember the first rule of government spending... why have one when you can have two for twice the price!



(Edited because I cant spell....)

[edit on 23-9-2008 by DisabledVet]