Japanese space elevator

[SmokyOneKenobi]

While we are trying to keep our boat afloat here in the US the Japanese are building a space elevator........hock:

I wish Arthur C. Clarke were still alive

 

http://gizmodo.com/5053048/japanese-scientists-plan-to-build-space-elevator

[Tonto]

I read that article too. Interesting, but they don't have any of the needed new technology ready yet.

and besides....they don't have anyone there named "Otis"!   

[Keith]

Thats some crazy shit

[Admin]

Looks like a huge lightning rod to me! 

That would be my biggest fear.    Lightning is caused by thunderstorms, volcanic eruptions and sometimes even dust storms which gives a connection from the ground to the atmosphere.  

Making a metallic rod that "shorts" out the ground to the atmosphere could be a problem.    Does the earth have a fuse we can reset??  lol!

[Skipper the cigar aFISHinodo]

a friend of mine was the Otis engineer assigned to build the WTC elevator.

One of the many many problems they had was thermal stretch. The cables would expand so much on warm days that the car would stop over 8 feet from where they would stop on cold days were it not for the floor sensors.

Can you imagine the size variations on something of this magnitude?

This is more "look at me" talk than anything else. People are trying to position themselves ready to take any spots the US may vacate due to the changing political and economic climate.

[Tonto]

Does anyone remember the old magnetic rail gun idea?

You could launch items to a "catching" station on the moon & from there shoot to the asteroid belt & then have asteroid miners shoot back ore. I think I first read about it in the late 1970's.

[Tonto]

a friend of mine was the Otis engineer assigned to build the WTC elevator.

One of the many many problems they had was thermal stretch. The cables would expand so much on warm days that the car would stop over 8 feet from where they would stop on cold days were it not for the floor sensors.

And that's not to mention the compensation on the side to side sway, due to wind.