Apparently they have made carbon nanotubes 1.5 centimeters long,
_only_ 30 or 40 thousand miles to go;

http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/sp...eelevator.html

Joe Fischer

Joe Fischer wrote:
Apparently they have made carbon nanotubes 1.5 centimeters long,
_only_ 30 or 40 thousand miles to go;

http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/sp...eelevator.html

Joe Fischer

And apparently you think that nylon stockings are made of polymeric
molecules that are a meter long...

PD

On 21 Nov 2005 08:22:55 -0800, "PD" wrote:

Joe Fischer wrote:
Apparently they have made carbon nanotubes 1.5 centimeters long,
_only_ 30 or 40 thousand miles to go;

http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/sp...eelevator.html

Joe Fischer

And apparently you think that nylon stockings are made of polymeric
molecules that are a meter long...
PD

Is a "carbon nanotube" composed of only one molecule,
I don't know. But the stated goal _is_ a carbon nanotube
a meter or so in length so it can be woven into a thin ribbon.

I never worked with nylon, but extruded polyethlene stretches
and becomes stronger as it does, you can test that by stretching
a grocery bag.

But I am certain this whole Indian Rope Trick (now called
"the beanstalk") is a waste of talent, time, and money.

The article mentions 650 tons to orbit, but at one pound
per linear foot, the thing would mass at 75,000 tons.
Surely they aren'r considering 650 tons total, that would
be less than 4 grams per linear foot, for a ribbon a meter
or so wide.

This does not even address how the pieces will be
connected together to hold the stress of about 1/4 of the
mass against gravity.

A steel cable 20 or 30 miles long will break if
suspended from it's top end, and I haven't seen anything
that says nanotubes will ever be more than a couple of
hundred times stronger than steel in tensile.

A better way to spend the money and time would
be to develop a space-drive, there is a limit on how much
needs to be put into orbit unless it is going to another planet.
In my opinion, General Relativity does not restrict
space propuulsion to rockets or radiation pressure, a
more efficient space drive is possible, I saw an ion drive
in operation at NASA Lewis Propulsion in 1958, and
toured the research reactor at Plumbrook designed
just for testing materials to use on nuclear powered
space craft (only generators though, I assume).

A better understanding of gravity is sorely needed,
even if to prevent throwing away money on beanstalks.

General Relativity may not have helped much in
understanding, because so few people understand it,
and that leaves a lot of people still thinking the dreams
they have are possible.

Joe Fischer