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Correction:

On a discussion thread recently about a tethered platform stretching from an ocean base to further than the geo-synchronous orbit of communication satellites, I made a comment about a similar “skyhook” for the Moon. I said that the rotational speed of the Moon made it impossible to have the same kind of arrangement.

I was wrong.

It is true that the Moon rotates slowly. Under normal circumstances, this would preclude the building of a “beanstalk.” A similar situation obtains on Mercury; too slow a rotation.

But there is a factor in regard to the Moon I had not previously considered. The Moon is tidally locked to the Earth.

This means that a platform could be built on the near side of the Moon, reaching up, and past, the point where gravity begins to pull things toward the Earth. This is one of the Lunar LaGrangian points.

If a tethered platform were to be constructed on the Moon’s near side, and reaching toward Earth, it would have to rival in total length the tower coming from Earth’s equator, but it need not be quite as robust.

It would also not be able to launch items into interplanetary orbits; anything released from the upper platform would simply fall to Earth.

At least getting things from the Moon to the Earth could be made as simple as an elevator trip, (and an incendiary re-entry).

If towers were constructed on both the Earth and the Moon, packages could be interchanged with relative ease. One would allow a cargo item to be released from the Earth tower at a point where its momentum would carry it to the Moon’s tower. Similarly, a package from the Moon would have to be timed to be intercepted at the appropriate point on the Earth tower.

Essentially, cargo could be shipped from the Earth to the Moon, and from the Moon to the Earth, for no more than the cost of operating the elevator shuttles on the two towers. (Note: The two towers.)

I publish this correction here on the Undead Thread because no one ever reads what is posted here, so I won’t have to be embarrassed about having been wrong publicly.

Now back to your regular activities. For stargazers, please note that the full Moon ahead of us will be enjoying a partial eclipse tonight, and if you will look over toward Venus, that bright star nearby is Antares.

Thank you for your attention.

*click*

Is that even brighter red thing, next to Antares, Mars? Antares was named as Anti-mars, or the 'other' Mars. Maybe I am seeing the wrong red star: there are only a handful of stars visible at a time these days.

y'all better be capturing it all on high-def vid for us poor medically downgraded slobs

"... because no one ever reads what is posted here,..."

Well... this post is proof that this isn't necessarily true. In fact, I am posting this just to point it out. Annoying? Maybe.