Nanotube Cable Can Connect The Earth And The Moon

spacedaily ^ | 18 Nov 03 | staff

[RightWhale]

Nanotube Cable Can Connect The Earth And The Moon

Moscow - Nov 18, 2003

Researchers from the Institute of Problems of Microelectronics Technology and Extra Pure Materials (Russian Academy of Sciences) have designed and tested a new device for production of a new promising material -- nanotubes. The researchers believe that it is exactly the material a transport cable can be produced of to connect the Moon and the Earth.

Back at the beginning of the last century, the idea was born to build a transport cable between the Earth and the Moon to deliver goods from our planet to the Moon. Until recently, there has been no material enabling to make this idea a reality. Polymers would not stand cosmic radiation, and the steel cable would have enormous weight. The most durable material as of today -- Spectra 1000 -- would allow to produce a cable of only 315 kilometers long, as the longer cable is simply unable to bear its own weight.

Carbonic nanotubes would very well suit the role of a structural material for such a cable. According to the researchers' estimates, a lightweight cable of required length can be produced from this material, the cable being 50 times stronger than the current most durable materials. The problem is that the researchers have not learned yet to produce high quality nanotubes in large quantities: that is either too expensive or feasible only in the laboratory environment. Therefore, this material is still pretty exotic, its price varying from $60 through $100 per gram.

The scientists from Chernogolovka have designed a device that allows to produce pretty large amounts of high quality nanotubes. The device is based on a rather simple scheme: spirit, glycerin or their mixture gets from a specially cooled chamber into the zone of graphite heater bar, where the temperature reaches 1000-2000 degrees C. That results in ultraspeed heating and substance combustion. The products precipitate on a special carbonic glass bell covering the device, or they are removed outside together with vapors and gases, thus allowing to protect the product from various unnecessary impacts.

Precipitations of such kind normally contain amorphous carbon, soot and various particles covered by a shell of carbon, as well as carbon fibre and nanotubes. However, in this particular case the researchers came across a surprise: the precipitations obtained in the device turned out to contain only nanotubes and carbon fibre. No other admixtures were found. It means that a laborious procedure is not required for rectification from unnecessary compoments. The fibres are 30-150 nanometers thick, and nanotubes are 20-50 nanometers thick, their length being several micrometers.

The growth of nanotubes can be accelerated with the help of catalysts -- iron, nickel, cobalt and gold. If the surface where nanotubes are to be precipitated is covered with a thin film of such catalyst in the form of some pattern, then nanotubes will precipitate only upon the pattern, the other parts remaining clean.

In principle, such devices may lay the foundation for industrial production of nanotubes. Maybe, a nanotube cable will soon connect the Moon and the Earth.

[RightWhale]

Not since BAR reported lowering a microphone through a borehole in Siberia.

[blam]

"Not since BAR reported lowering a microphone through a borehole in Siberia."

What was heard?

[thoughtomator]

But once they've made the cable, how do they attach it?

[Snuffington]

Sorry to show my ignorance, but exactly how is this supposed to work? It's not like the moon stays still, or the earth doesn't rotate.

[rellimpank]

---I suspect this requires a rather liberal definition of "soon"---

[FLAMING DEATH]

Um...one question...

Doesn't the Earth rotate on its axis?

This could be very dangerous...what happens if the Earth's rotation winds up the cable and causes the Moon to crash into the Earth?

What are those guys thinking? Someone must stop them!

[Lee Heggy]

There's something very wrong with this idea...I like the idea of a really big cannon that justs shoot people to the moon.

[Laserman]

Could be fixed at the moon end since its face always face the earth. Could connect to a moon synchronous orbiting station at the earth end.

[Wonder Warthog]

"Sorry to show my ignorance, but exactly how is this supposed to work? It's not like the moon stays still, or the earth doesn't rotate."

Nay, NOT ignorance. This notion has SERIOUS orbital mechanics problems.

Now, if they proposed a "Clarke beanstalk" from Earth's surface to orbital, and one from the Moon's surface to orbital height, THAT would actually make sense.

[Petronski]

what happens if the Earth's rotation winds up the cable and causes the Moon to crash into the Earth?

Giggling out loud!

Are these by chance 'Acme Nanotubes?'

[RightWhale]

how is this supposed to work?

FR has more expertise on design of space elevators than almost anywhere. So we know. What are they doing over there in Moscow besides strengthening the antifreeze and sending in the JayVees?

[Gorzaloon]

What are those guys thinking?

Not much....

[New Horizon]

the idea was born to build a transport cable between the Earth and the Moon to deliver goods from our planet to the Moon.

Mmmmm...yep!

Deliver goods to who?

[Hodar]

I think the author was referring to the "Space Elevator", a sci-fi concept that is over 50 years old. Essentially, a space platform, just outside the geosync orbit will want to fly off into space (Centrifical force), but is tethered to an earthborne platform by a cable. We then use this cable as an elevator platform, hauling goods up and down much more economically than we could with rockets. And conceptually, the earth platform would be in the middle of the Pacific, such that it could move around huricanes and severe storms, and not necessarily be tethered to any fixed point.

[Ichneumon]

But once they've made the cable, how do they attach it?

Duct tape.

[buffyt]

Sheila Jackson Lee might like to go "back" to Mars in one of those cannons....

[buffyt]

Duct tape ~ It's what holds the world together....

[FreePaul]

You don't understand. They can use a swivel to attach it to on of those poles that stick out of the top or bottom of the earth. That's easier to do than my other idea of a slip ring around the equator.

[FLAMING DEATH]

Oh, yeah.

I always forget about the poles that stick out on the top and bottom of the Earth.

[Tactical]

Maybe this thing will suck the air surrounding the earth and send it to the moon? Vacuum's suck right? Did I spell that right?

Oh so many questions, we need more scientists!