Science of Discworld

[CapnJTKirk]

I just began reading The Science of Discworld, and am loving it. There is a bit in there about how kangaroos should be unable to hop, and how it relates to rockets, and then talk of a space elevator using carbon nanotubes. I then ran across this just earlier today. Total zen moment...

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mic ... a-tethered

How utterly cool.

 

[Tonyblack]

Have you read The Fountains of Paradise by Arthur C Clarke, Capt? It's all about the consept of the Space Elevator. Well worth a read.

And welcome!

 

[AgProv]

There is a cautionary tale out there which possibly explains why there hasn't yet been a serious attempt to make a space-lift work. I read a novel where the string breaks and 23 miles of cable fall back to earth. It has to be fairly strong cable to cope with the stresses and 23 miles of it weighs heavy. The trigger event in the book was the fact the satellite at the top of the lift, due to human error, isn't quite in geostationery orbit. At first imperceptibly so, but the slip becomes bigger and bigger until the large manned satellite at the top is oscilating wildly. And then it fallsback to earth, making a wider and wider circle as it falls,still attached to the cable.... I will try to work out chapter and verse!

But here is a technical site, with animations:-

http://gassend.net/spaceelevator/breaks/index.html

 

[Tonyblack]

If I remember correctly (and it's been a long time since I read it), in the A.C. Clarke book, the cable was made after scientists were able to construct a strand of carbon atoms - in effect, a thread of diamond.

Just because we don't have the technology to do this yet, doesn't mean that we shouldn't think about it and even plan how we'd go about it if the technology was available. After all, that sort of thinking is the basis for the very best Sci-Fi.

 

[Who's Wee Dug]

I believe the Japanese have started in that direction, but with the way their economy is going I don't know if they will keep it going.