Will We Ever Stop Using Rockets to Get to Space?

space,com ^ | August 19, 2018 08:01am ET | By Ross Pomeroy, RealClearScience |

[BenLurkin]

One of the most futuristic and far-fetched is the space elevator....simple enough on paper – extend a 22,000 mile set of cables from a space station in geostationary orbit to a corresponding structure somewhere at Earth's equator.

... The problem...is that the cable system must be constructed from a material far stronger than anything known. Carbon nanotubes have been hypothesized to fill this niche, but they aren't ready yet.

…

Another potential rocket replacement is StarTram….

Magnetically-levitated spacecraft will be propelled inside a curved tube aimed skyward. All air will be evacuated from the tube in order to eliminate drag. Craft will exit the lengthy tube at a speed of 8.8 kilometers per second in order to escape Earth's atmosphere. A generation-1 StarTram design intended to launch cargo vessels will feature a 81-mile tube built up the side of a mountain to reach a launch altitude of 12,000 to 20,000 feet.

The beautiful thing about StarTram is that it's surprisingly feasible. All the required tech exists today; it just needs to be scaled up big time. That makes building StarTram a matter of time and money rather than a flight of fancy. Is StarTram's $20 to $50 billion price tag worth it? Possibly. It could reduce cargo costs to space to just $20 to $50 per kilogram, potentially unlocking trillions of dollars worth of new industries.

Another idea, courtesy of JP Aerospace, eschews fiery rockets for giant airships that gently ascend all the way to space. A massive V-shaped "Ascender" aircraft would ferry cargo and passengers to the permanently floating "Dark Sky Station" at 140,000 feet. From there, an "Orbital Ascender" airship powered by ion engines would complete the journey to space. JP Aerospace's original funding came from the Air Force, and they're still highlighting progress on their blog.

[Drumbo]

BM

[FrankR]

How about we build the wall first!?

[Vaquero]

The tube idea is great but not for humans (at least not without a seriouslength of tube). To achieve that speed without imparting too much g forces would require a speed up section of tube like 60-100 miles long. Then once exiting the tube at 18,000 feet at 19,000 mph(their speed number) you would hit a thinning but still substantially cross section of atmosphere to require some serious heat shielding.

It could work. But would require quite a super long lead.

The tube idea as a form of transportation across continents is compelling. Take the same maglev vacuum tube and lay it from NY to LA. Would make jet travel seem very slow.

[mad_as_he$$]

The space elevator has always had fundamental physics challenges and always will.

The trans-linear vector theory is where the answer(s) lie. /s

[trebb]

“To the Moon, Alice! To the Moon!”.......

[COBOL2Java]

The Startram Project: Shoot a Train Into Space

A tube would be built and held in the air using magnetically suspended superconducting cables and high strength structural tethers. To achieve launch velocity the 1,000 mile long tube would be a vacuum and would launch the spacecraft out of the tube at an altitude of 12 miles, the speed it will be going at is 20,000mph - enough to carry it into a low orbit. To stop air from entering the vacuum tube magneto hydrodynamic pumps (MHD) would continuously expel gasses, maintaining a near-vacuum at all times. Basically a mass driver launch into space.

[a fool in paradise]

an 81 mile space tube attached to the Andes would have to contend with earthquakes

[Theophilus]

Good point

[Carriage Hill]

Musk and his Tesla scam could easily handle this. Bet he could do it for under $2-3 trillion of US Taxpayer’s monies. </sarc>

[I want the USA back]

Another stupid idea filling the pages of “science” magazines.

[EQAndyBuzz]

“Will We Ever Stop Using Rockets to Get to Space?
Yes.”

Haven’t we already done that? As I understand it, we use Russian rockets to get us into space.

[Right Wing Assault]

On the way to building these devices, maybe they could figure out a way to keep bridges from falling down.

[NonValueAdded]

will feature a 81-mile tube built up the side of a mountain

I wonder if Gerald Bull's heirs hold a patent? /obscure

[minnesota_bound]

Once we find dilithium crystals our problems will be solved.

[Psalm 73]

"Will We Ever Stop Using Rockets to Get to Space?"

Three words: L-S-D.

[Ozark Tom]

A Space Fountain applies the momentum transfer by magnetic deflection of high velocity projectiles to generate a static lift force to levitate a structure.

https://ipfs.io/ipfs/QmXoypizjW3WknFiJnKLwHCnL72vedxjQkDDP1mXWo6uco/wiki/Space_fountain.html

IPFS Distributed Web demo—avoid censorship?

https://ipfs.io/

[Magnum44]

A Space Fountain applies the momentum transfer by magnetic deflection of high velocity projectiles to generate a static lift force to levitate a structure.

[Conan the Librarian]

Fountains of Paridise and other Arthur Clarke stories.

It was a favorite method of his.

[dragnet2]

As long as were using conventional rockets, we can forget traveling into interstellar space. They’re just too slow.