Wanna take an elevator into space?

[someone]

www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/10/02/space.elevator/index.html

 

[Tejano@UT]

I still think we don't have the technology and cooperation to get anything of this size and importance work. Once we do, though, we'll have to take advantage of it and hook it up to a ring of solar energy stations in orbit to supply us with unlimited energy.

One can dream, right?

 

[A. BETTIK]

I can se how this thing would stay up, but no one has explained how you keep it in a configuration normal to the surface. Wouldn't a ride to the top cause the elevator to drag behind rotation or lose some orbit? When you let go at the desired orbit, would you get a string like oscilation or a P-wave along the axis?

 

[HornBud]

I'm not sure, but looking that leaning tower of oil rig, and thinking about a 40 mile tall elevator, just doesn't sit too well with me.

 

[TxStHorn]

Nothing but a giant terrorist target.

 

[The Eyes of Texas]

How does one provide a counterweight at the top in a weightless environment?

and on a religious note....Babel

 

[Go Trees]

In reply to:

---

---

 

[El Cid Vicious]

Imagine getting stuck halfway up.

 

[groverat]

I would love to ride to space in a space elevator.

I'll be dead by the time it could happen, though.

 

[RoundRobin]

A space elevator was a big part of the Mars trilogy (Red Mars, Blue Mars, Green Mars) by Kim Stanley Robinson. Amazing to see people working on this but I don't see it happening in my lifetime.