Nanotube Cable Can Connect The Earth And The Moon

spacedaily ^ | 18 Nov 03 | staff

[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!