Posted on 09/17/2019 8:26:32 PM PDT by DUMBGRUNT
Scientists have proposed a method to connect the Earth and the moon with a cable that will allow us to travel between them, but the European Space Agency isn't convinced
Two astronomers from the University of Cambridge and the University of Columbia have proposed a plan for a kind of elevator between the moon and the Earth.
Have you ever thought about what it would be like if we could just hop in an elevator, press a button, and head up to the moon?
According to the scientists' calculations, it would be possible to construct such a structure using existing technologies. The concept is "eminently plausible and may have been overlooked as a major step in the development of our capacity as a species to move within our solar system," they said.
(Excerpt) Read more at businessinsider.com ...
Dude, it would be an elevator from San Francisco to a geosynchronous satellite. Then you take a ferry.
A monster yo-yo.
But, can it perform the “cat’s cradle”?
This would be possible, and even likely, when we reach Pluto. Pluto and its largest moon Charon are tidely locked with each other, and with lower gravity considerations, today’s technology can be used to do it.
A few Sci-Fi writers were always writing about it.
That rod and wire rope mill in the sky.
Uh, lightning is only generated within the earth atmosphere.
You know, storms, clouds, all that?
“These are not the scientists you are looking for...”
Winner!
Perigee
(i.e. min. distance from Earth) 362,600 km (225,300 mi) (avg.)
(356400–370400 km)
Apogee
(i.e. max. distance from Earth) 405,400 km (251,900 mi) (avg.)
(404000–406700 km)
Talk to Larry Niven.
Post of the Day.
Yeah, but that’ll be some catenary.
No kidding
Dumbest idea in a while
Maybe a wireless cable...
"It's A Small World After All"
Oh, geez. Kill me now!
Correction: These are not the scientists you are looking for...
What a ludicrous idea.
Won’t work.
If you compute this the cross sectional area term drops out, in the strength vs. length and cross section equation, so it’s just a length function.
Assume the cable is a high strength steel.
Density of steel is 3 pounds/cu.inch and assume a breaking strength on 100000psi. The longest cable possible is about 31,000 ft. So, you can’t get to the moon with any current material, because I don’t know of anything strong enough.
“The stupid, it burns”
Apt description of most of the comments on this thread.
The suggestion key points are
- A tether from Moon to Earth geosynchronous orbit (not to Earth itself)
- Payload capacity of ~100kg
In earth gravity the maximum length if 31000 ft (~ 6 miles) to break cable.
In moon gravity it’s 6 times as long, 186000 ft (~35 miles).
You can’t get from here to there or from there to here.
They’re not scientists, their idiots.
what is the length of a steel cable that can hang vertically without breaking under its own weight
breaking strength for steel is 720MPa and density of steel 7800 kg/m^3
Call the cross sectional area of the wire A and the maximum length without breaking L.
density = mass / volume
leads to
mass = density * volume
Length at breaking L
volume=A*L
Weight of cable W=density*A*L*g
The volume of the maximum length of this wire is just (A * L)
we know the density so its mass will be:
mass = 7.8*10^3 * A*L
Strength S=density*A*L*g / A
areas drop out
S=density*L*g
L = S / (g*density)
L=720MPa/(9.81 m/s^2 * 7800 kg/m^3)
L=9413 m
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.