Why not build a ladder to space? Impossible you think? Not so at all.

Build a space station to orbit in the closest distance from the earth
as possible (Just above gravitational pull), directly over some
designated point on earth. From this space station, start building a
long cable of say titanium, such that is starts to drop down toward
earth.

Build a robot which travels from the space station along the cable,
simply extending the cable as it goes down to earth. In order get
enough titanium up to the robot, send cargo shuttles or rockets with
loads of liquid titanium, up to dock with the robot, transfer the
titanium and also new power supply, and then return to earth.

The robot satellite will be suspended along the cable it is building,
and finally build it down to earth. Then shuttle cars can be fitted to
the cable, and winched from the space station, right into space.

From this intermediate space station, more bridges can be built
between higher orbiting space stations if needed. This will be a cheap
and easy way for humans to travel into space!

DF wrote:

Why not build a ladder to space? Impossible you think? Not so at all.

Build a space station to orbit in the closest distance from the earth
as possible (Just above gravitational pull), directly over some
designated point on earth.

o The gravitational force expends to infinity
o orbital velocity is a function of radius, but does not
act like a solid wheel.

http://scienceworld.wolfram.com/physics/Orbit.html

o Newton's laws apply

Dear DF:

"DF" wrote in message
om...

Arthur C. Clarke beat you to this idea.

Why not build a ladder to space? Impossible you think? Not so at all.

Build a space station to orbit in the closest distance from the earth
as possible (Just above gravitational pull),

Gravitation extends the breadth of the Universe.

directly over some
designated point on earth. From this space station, start building a
long cable of say titanium, such that is starts to drop down toward
earth.

Titianium is too weak for the weight. There is some hope that carbon
nanotubes can do this.

Build a robot which travels from the space station along the cable,
simply extending the cable as it goes down to earth. In order get
enough titanium up to the robot, send cargo shuttles or rockets with
loads of liquid titanium, up to dock with the robot, transfer the
titanium and also new power supply, and then return to earth.

Mr. Clarke played out a very thin tether from a space shuttle, then used
the tether to haul up the heavy stuff.

The robot satellite will be suspended along the cable it is building,
and finally build it down to earth. Then shuttle cars can be fitted to
the cable, and winched from the space station, right into space.

From this intermediate space station, more bridges can be built
between higher orbiting space stations if needed. This will be a cheap
and easy way for humans to travel into space!

Not so easy. The cabling is the problem. It also will be a target for
terrorists. And lightning, and storms...

David A. Smith

(DF) wrote:

Why not build a ladder to space? Impossible you think? Not so at all.

Build a space station to orbit in the closest distance from the earth
as possible (Just above gravitational pull), directly over some
designated point on earth. From this space station, start building a
long cable of say titanium, such that is starts to drop down toward
earth.

Just for starters, and not that any of this makes sense but, if the
space station is "(Just above gravitational pull)", then what is going
to pull your cable down toward earth?


Build a robot which travels from the space station along the cable,
simply extending the cable as it goes down to earth. In order get
enough titanium up to the robot, send cargo shuttles or rockets with
loads of liquid titanium, up to dock with the robot, transfer the
titanium and also new power supply, and then return to earth.

The robot satellite will be suspended along the cable it is building,
and finally build it down to earth. Then shuttle cars can be fitted to
the cable, and winched from the space station, right into space.

From this intermediate space station, more bridges can be built
between higher orbiting space stations if needed. This will be a cheap
and easy way for humans to travel into space!

Error upon mistake, upon misjudgment, upon inaccuracy, upon... etc.

Jim

"DF" wrote in message
om...
Why not build a ladder to space? Impossible you think? Not so at all.

Build a space station to orbit in the closest distance from the earth
as possible (Just above gravitational pull), directly over some
designated point on earth. From this space station, start building a
long cable of say titanium, such that is starts to drop down toward
earth.

If the station was "above gravitational pull" (it's already been pointed out
that it can't be), it wouldn't orbit the earth at all. Ignoring that, the
designated point would have to be directly above the equator and ~36000 km
up (geostationary). To give you an idea of what that means, the earth's
radius is ~6000 km. No material we currently have can support it's own
weight at these kinds of sizes - I know 'cos this kind of thing crops up in
science rags on quiet weeks, with details of why we can't do it.

DF wrote:

Why not build a ladder to space? Impossible you think? Not so at all.

Build a space station to orbit in the closest distance from the earth
as possible (Just above gravitational pull),

Idiot alert!!! Gravitation has infinite range. What do you think
keeps the Earth in its orbit, git?

directly over some
designated point on earth. From this space station, start building a
long cable of say titanium, such that is starts to drop down toward
earth.

IDIOT ALERT!

"The Fountains of Paradise," Arthur C. Clarke. The author has an
adequate overall analysis of the problem except for three small
suspensions of disbelief in engineering details and one in biology:

1) The tensile strength of diamond, 10 tonnes/mm^2, is not quite
sufficent to pull it off even with an optimally tapered straight line
beanstalk, and

2) The minmum energy curve of a beanstalk is not a straight line,
not nearly. Exploring construction of a bleeding edge material
technology 22,280 mile-long pillar is truly awful economically. A
California freeway on flat land costs about $5-20 million/mile - and
it is only poured concrete.

($10 million/mile)(22,280 miles) = $220 billion

Now, add the NASA markup - $50,000/kg to low Earth orbit mass. Cheap
2000 psi concrete in retail bulk costs about $16/cu.yd. With the NASA
markup that comes to $120 million/cu.yd.

3) You also have the naughtiness of the Earth's magnetosphere
billowing in the solar wind and severely writhing during solar
storms. Any extended electrical conductor will, through Lens' law, go
absolutely ape.

4) The inner Van Allen radiation belt extends over altitudes from
12400 to 3100 miles in altitude and contains energetic protons. The
outer Van Allen radiation belt is 3700 miles thick centered at 9900
miles in altitude. It contains energetic electrons. Your beanstalk
will be cooked to char by radiation, as will any passengers traveling
along it.

(5) Social issues. If you actually do build it, Islam will tear it
down. The Church of Rome during the Inqusition was infinitly tolerant
and Liberal compared to Wahabi Islam (all of Saudi Arabia, for a
start). Islam will not tolerate anything better than you squatting in
your own feces. (Certain exceptions are *temporarily* levied for
wealthy donors.) Rewards are in the next life.

[snip ignorant bull****]

--
Uncle Al
http://www.mazepath.com/uncleal/qz.pdf
http://www.mazepath.com/uncleal/eotvos.htm
(Do something naughty to physics)