Posted on 08/20/2015 1:07:19 PM PDT by Red Badger
20 km Space Tower
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Exploring space while seated on Earth, gazing up on screens in museum theaters or at home via VR headsets. is exciting but the top imagination-grabber is the very idea of finding a way to access space. This is the present-day realm of creative thinking over space elevators, in the use of a giant tower to carry us to space.
Scientists working on space elevators are thinking about materials and designs that can be used to access space as an alternative to rocket technology. A sign of the times is the upcoming Space Elevator Conference 2015 which takes place this month in Seattle.
Imagine, said The Spaceward Foundation, the space elevator, serving as a track on which electric vehicles called "climbers" can travel up and down carrying about 10 tons of payload."There are no intense gravity-loads during the trip, no acoustic vibration, no onboard fuel, nor any of the rest of the drama (and cost) associated with rocket launches," it added.
Now a Canadian company, Thoth Technology in Ontario, has a patent for a space elevator to access space. It would reach 20km (12 miles) above the planet. Its engineers said the technology could save more than 30 percent of the fuel of a conventional rocket— spacecraft and people could be lifted to a level in the atmosphere requiring less force to launch.
As GCR (Global Construction Review) News described it, this is a freestanding space tower concept, held rigid by pressurized gas.
In Fast Company, Charlie Sorrel had some thoughts on this: " The patent does say that the elevator could be scaled to reach 200km, but that's a little like saying that your bank balance could be scaled to reach $1 billion—it's technically true, but the execution may prove tricky."(The patent said the tower could be further scaled to provide direct access to altitudes above 200 km and with the gravitation potential of Low Earth Orbit [LEO].)
The patent document reads: "The present invention is a self-supporting space elevator tower for the delivery of payloads to at least one platform or pod above the surface of the Earth for the purposes of space launch. The space elevator tower may also be used to deliver equipment, personnel and other objects or people to at least one platform or pod above the surface of the Earth for the purpose of scientific research, communications and tourism."
Thoth's approach suggests an interesting alternative. Eric Mack in CNET wrote, "Technically speaking, getting to space hasn't become any easier over the past half century or so. It still requires using huge rockets to create a massive enough amount of force to push a payload beyond the grip of Earth's gravity." Or, as Information Week put it, "Rockets are extremely hard to launch off the face of the earth because of gravity and air resistance."
In contrast, said Mack, the space elevator uses "much simpler gravity-defying technologies to access space."
David Wagner of Information Week said Thoth is using "technology that, for the most part, we already have (to build the building at least). It uses modular tubes of Kevlar-polyethylene composites filled with helium. The tubes are much lighter and forgiving than modern building materials, and the helium helps hold the structure up."
"From the top of the tower, space planes will launch in a single stage to orbit, returning to the top of the tower for refueling and reflight," said Dr. Brendan Quine, the inventor and a professor at York University's Lassonde School of Engineering.
Thoth Technology is a space and defense company in the business of services and products for space applications.
Explore further: Giant nets could remove orbiting space junk
More information: thothx.com/news-2/
www.uspto.gov/web/patents/patog/week29/OG/patent.html
Yes, landing on it would be foolish and unnecessary. Still, taking off from such a height, even though you avoid a lot of gravity, still presents some other interesting issues.
I remember that one, I used to have some paperbacks that compiled the first 40 issues or so of the Amazing Spider-man when I was a kid. That was before they whole “graphic novel” craze, so these were cheesy little pocket-size books, but I loved them anyway, because there was no way I could ever afford to buy real comics that old at that age.
There was a lot of goofy stuff in those early issues. Remember when Green Goblin rode on a broom instead of the goblin glider? Or when Spider-man was nearly defeated by the Enforcers, who had no superpowers or high-tech weapons at all?
Yes indeed!
I was especially impressed by the Green Goblin’s little pumpkin bombs.
He got the pumpkin bombs and the goblin glider in his second appearance (Spider-Man #17).
The Enforcers were led by The Big Man, who turned out to be Daily Bugle reporter Frederick Foswell.
“The Enforcers were led by The Big Man, who turned out to be Daily Bugle reporter Frederick Foswell.”
Oh yeah, he was the guy who dressed in a suit with like a white bag on his head for a mask, with a fedora on top of it, right?
Only 12 miles? That’s a good start I guess. Probably want to get up closer to 50 to really be useful.
Yes. His head was wrapped like a mummy, with a white mask that looked like Al Capone, and a fedora on top.
Spider-Man suspected J. Jonah of being The Big Man, right up until the second-to-last page, when the police came to the Daily Bugle to arrest The Big Man, and got a big surprise when they arrested Foswell.
This can work. How about a restaurant at the top? Fantastic view. Charge elevator fees and it will be paid off in a few years.
What a place to take a first date! or for a honeymoon. Forget the space ships. This will be a money maker.
Stairway to heaven comes to mind, but this is an elevator.
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