What kind of cable does the space elevator need?
Concept Outline. The space elevator is planned to be built by the year 2050 with a capacity to carry 100-ton climbers. It is composed of a 96,000-km carbon nanotube cable, a 400-m diameter floating Earth Port and a 12,500-ton counter-weight.
How thick would a space elevator cable be?
The initial ribbon cable will be 5 cm wide at the base and taper to 11.5 cm at geosynchronous orbit. The thickness of this ribbon will be one micron on average.
Is an elevator to space possible?
A space elevator is possible with today’s technology, researchers say (we just need to dangle it off the moon) Space elevators would dramatically reduce the cost of reaching space but have never been technologically feasible.
How much would an elevator to space cost?
A space elevator built according to the Edwards proposal is estimated to cost $6 billion.
Would a space elevator slow the Earth rotation?
Building the elevator will slow the earth by a negligible amount. Over time, launching spacecraft will slow it more but bringing back ore from the asteroid mines will speed it back up.
What happens if a space elevator breaks?
If the break occurred at higher altitude, up to about 25,000 km, the lower portion of the elevator would descend to Earth and drape itself along the equator east of the anchor point, while the now unbalanced upper portion would rise to a higher orbit.
Is Japan making space elevator?
In Japan, researchers are working on a “space elevator” to make this happen in a way that minimizes cost and environmental impact, unlike traditional rockets that consume massive amounts of fuel. In 2012, Obayashi Corporation announced its Space Elevator Construction Plan, connecting Earth and space by 2050.
Can we build buildings in space?
The Archinaut One is a project from Made in Space that combines a 3-D printer and robotic arms to create a single machine capable of building and assembling large structures in outer space.
Can we build a spaceship in space?
NASA has contracted several companies to test a satellite-building robot in space. The most expensive part of space exploration is lifting material into space. Instead of building on the ground, and launching material into space — NASA is skipping the hurdle, and building spacecraft in orbit.
How fast would a space elevator go?
Current status
| Parameter | Required | Achieved |
|---|---|---|
| Speed | 83 m/s (300 km/h) a | 18.3 m/s (66 km/h) 4 m/s (14 km/h) |
| Altitude | 36,000 km | 1km |
| Payload | 10kg | |
| Laser power beaming |
How long would it take to travel in a space elevator?
Travel on a space elevator would not be fast! The travel time from one end to the other would be several days to a month. To put the distance in perspective, if the climber moved at 300 km/hr (190 mph), it would take five days to reach geosynchronous orbit.
How would a space elevator be built?
A space elevator is conceived as a cable fixed to the equator and reaching into space. This produces enough upward centrifugal force from Earth’s rotation to fully counter the downward gravity, keeping the cable upright and taut. Climbers carry cargo up and down the cable.
How big would an elevator have to be to stay in orbit?
To stay in orbit, the elevator would have to be a lot longer than 100 kilometers — more like 100,000 kilometers (62,000 miles) long. That’s roughly a quarter of the way from Earth’s surface to the moon. The end of the giant ribbon swinging around the planet would need to be in geosynchronous orbit.
What kind of material was used for the space elevator?
In 2000, another American scientist, Bradley C. Edwards, suggested creating a 100,000 km (62,000 mi) long paper-thin ribbon using a carbon nanotube composite material.
How much would it cost to send a space elevator?
Swan and other ISEC members are working to make the space elevator a reality because it could make it easier and cheaper to send people and equipment into space. Swan estimates that today it would cost around $10,000 to send a pound of stuff to the moon. But with a space elevator, he says, the cost might fall to near $100 per pound.
How does a counterweight on a space elevator work?
A counterweight at the upper end keeps the center of mass well above geostationary orbit level. This produces enough upward centrifugal force from Earth’s rotation to fully counter the downward gravity, keeping the cable upright and taut.