Japanese researchers work to make sci-fi space elevator a reality

[Roy Mustang]

space elevator

Yet another fictional invention from the late sci-fi author Arthur C. Clarke appears to be one step closer to reality. The Japan Space Elevator Association hopes to be instrumental in getting the first real working space elevator built, a device that Clarke imagined decades ago in his 1979 book "The Fountains of Paradise." The elevator, anchored by 22,000 mile long superstrong carbon nanotube cables, would link to a satellite in geostationary orbit, vastly reducing the cost of space travel and research by eliminating the need for costly rocket booster takeoffs.

In addition to transporting various payloads and spacecraft component parts for in-orbit assembly, the space elevator would also transport people, potentially kick starting a new wave of space tourism. Although several organizations around the world have also announced their intention to build such a mechanism, Japan's history of successful technical execution, plus a budget of around ten billion dollars makes the prospect of the space elevator suddenly seem like anything but fiction.

[font="Book Antiqua"][color="Red"]Col. Roy Mustang[/color][/font]

[Tsukuyomi]

That would be so cool ^^ A bit (alot) out there, but nonetheless cool 8D

It would seem our world is becoming a bit more anime-ish every single day <3

[Lochaber Axe]

I personally wouldn't want to to be either going up or down that thing if an asteroid hits it. *Shudder* Some ideas should just stay in fiction.

[Tsukuyomi]

I personally wouldn't want to to be either going up or down that thing if an asteroid hits it. *Shudder* Some ideas should just stay in fiction.

Lol, good point XDD

[ShiroiHikari]

That's like saying "I wouldn't want to be riding in that car when it gets crashed into" or "I wouldn't want to be in that plane when it falls out of the sky". XD

[Kanerou]

<3 the Japanese. They have awesome ideas.

[Raiden no Kishi]

That's like saying "I wouldn't want to be riding in that car when it gets crashed into" or "I wouldn't want to be in that plane when it falls out of the sky". XD

+1. Life is full of risks. If we had said ideas should have been better left in the theoretical because of danger, we'd have missed out on a great many innovations.

.rai//

[Etoh*the*Greato]

Plus the odds of an asteroid hitting it seem fairly slim to me. Man, that'd be so cool if they can finish it.

[ShiroiHikari]

So if this thing gets finished successfully...what reason will there be to go to space? Just to say "lol I've been to space and you haven't"? I'm waiting for them to actually build stuff up there.

[Etoh*the*Greato]

Presumably this would make it easier and cheaper to kickstart the whole research in space thing. We could do more work on the moon, perhaps even launch expeditions to Mars cheaper because of it.

[Technomancer]

I personally wouldn't want to to be either going up or down that thing if an asteroid hits it. *Shudder* Some ideas should just stay in fiction.

It's really not asteroids that you have to worry about. Large pieces (say the size of a baseball) are pretty rare. The real concern should be the effects of micrometeorites. Something very small can do a lot of damage when travelling at high speeds]
So if this thing gets finished successfully...what reason will there be to go to space? Just to say "lol I've been to space and you haven't"? I'm waiting for them to actually build stuff up there.
[/quote]

Basically, it would drastically change the economics of operating in space. Right now, the per kilogram cost of putting something into space is extremely high. If that figure can be substantially reduced than many more sophisticated operations can be carried out (since you put up more stuff), and activities that were uneconomical in the past may be become profitable.

[User Name]

At this rate, science fiction may become science non-fiction.

[Doubleshadow]

Considering the rather high number of seminars I have attended referencing nanotubes, not to mention my own research into the subject for the sake of class work, I should have more to say, but I can't think of anything. I have been on campus for nearly twelve hours straight, and must now go proctor the gen. chem., after proctoring last week, because I volunteered to be nice. Darn my soft heart.

(@_@)...

[That Dude]

There has also been indepent research on this conducted here in America.

[ShiroiHikari]

This is all really interesting stuff.

They should try to build space colonies. XD

[Lochaber Axe]

This is all really interesting stuff.

They should try to build space colonies. XD

Thats ok... but please. No radar evading giant blue, white, and red robots.

One doesn't need a new branch of physics to defeat radar... just paint it black and a little Purpose Shaping to reduce the RCS, and all is good.

[ShiroiHikari]

You're saying "no giant blue, white, and red robots" to a person with an Amuro Ray avatar? XD Eh, I'm just messing with you.

[bigsleepj]

Some of this was touched on in an article in IEEE Spectrum a few years ago (I'll try to find the reference later).

That would be much appreciated.

Basically, it would drastically change the economics of operating in space. Right now, the per kilogram cost of putting something into space is extremely high. If that figure can be substantially reduced than many more sophisticated operations can be carried out (since you put up more stuff), and activities that were uneconomical in the past may be become profitable.

That is arguably something to look forward to.

[Technomancer]

The Spectrum article appeared in the August 2005 issue under the title "A Hoist to the Heavens". The most important thing to take away is the current launch costs are ~$20,000 / kg. NASA's projections for a single elevator move launch costs to $200 / kg, and possibly down to $10 / kg if multiple elevators are in service.