The Space Elevator

[sandorski]

Originally posted by: Jeff7

Originally posted by: sandorski
Don't need to move a significant portion of the population anywhere. Just enough to get the process started.

This is kinda like if we were a small tribe living on one island amongst many islands. Someone suggests going to the next island. Someone else asks "Why? We have everything we need here." Unknown to those wanting to stay put, there's something unique on the next island that they'd benefit from.

Then there are other benefits, such as Economies of scale which creates everything from increased Wealth to increased Scientific output.

By having other Planets/Moons settled, Goods can be Exported back to Earth.

This would be many decades or centuries in the future. Most of what is elsewhere in the solar system would likely be of minimal use to us by the time it could be mined. For example, Saturn's moon Titan. Loads of hydrocarbons there. Ethane, methane, all kinds of fuels which are useful to us now. By the time we'd be technologically capable enough to send mining ships there, we wouldn't need them. Fusion power generators would likely be the norm, so why mine methane for primitive combustion engines? Hell, by that time we might have energy->matter convertors, running on the abundant fusion or possibly even solar power.

The other issue is, once we set up a colony elsewhere, it wouldn't really solve the problem of population on this planet, or the limited resources. Eventually, the colony would also grow, and exploit the resources on that planet. They may also need supplies from Earth, further depleting them here. First we should work on stabilizing things on this planet, then we'll worry about going elsewhere.

Hydrocarbons have uses other than just Fuel. Plastics or even for Terra Forming purposes(combust them and create CO2 for eg).

If we wait to fix the problems here first, we'll never get anywhere.

 

[Born2bwire]

Originally posted by: sandorski

Originally posted by: DrPizza

Originally posted by: sandorski

Originally posted by: CatKillaZ
My point was earlier why do we need to find somewhere else to live. Our planet has everything we need and more, buy we cannot even get off using oil. Thats what my statement earlier was trying to make

Why? Because we need(or eventually will need) some place else to live. We'll(humans) always live on Earth, but Earth's resources are limited, so eventually we'll need to expand to other Planet/Moons.

It's not really a solution to that problem. We won't be able to move any more than an extremely insignificant portion of the population off this planet. Even with the space elevator, it would still take quite a bit of energy and some resources just to get one person off this rock.

Don't need to move a significant portion of the population anywhere. Just enough to get the process started.

This is kinda like if we were a small tribe living on one island amongst many islands. Someone suggests going to the next island. Someone else asks "Why? We have everything we need here." Unknown to those wanting to stay put, there's something unique on the next island that they'd benefit from.

Then there are other benefits, such as Economies of scale which creates everything from increased Wealth to increased Scientific output.

By having other Planets/Moons settled, Goods can be Exported back to Earth.

Galactical mercantilism FTW! It's good to be on the mother planet.

 

[Safeway]

Oh great, a perfectly good Space Elevator thread tainted by the introduction of P&N-esque global climate change and Al Gore.

What has gotten into ATOT lately? Most threads get turned around into evil after maybe 30 to 40 posts.

 

[JeffreyLebowski]

Originally posted by: Fritzo
What I would be concerned about is if a part of it failed, a nanotube ribbon 200+ miles long would fall to Earth---what would happen to the towns around it?

Well it wouldn't be 200 miles of the tube as any part attached to the asteroid or station in orbit would stay attached as that body continued orbiting.

 

[So]

Originally posted by: JeffreyLebowski

Originally posted by: Fritzo
What I would be concerned about is if a part of it failed, a nanotube ribbon 200+ miles long would fall to Earth---what would happen to the towns around it?

Well it wouldn't be 200 miles of the tube as any part attached to the asteroid or station in orbit would stay attached as that body continued orbiting.

Yes, and the thing is -- the whole reason that carbon nanotubes are the material of choice for a space elevator is its strength per unit weight. Any part that fell to earth would not be like a massive steel cable falling to earth, it would be more like a ticker tape parade, fluttering in the wind.

 

[RU482]

I think teleportation via lasers has a better shot at getting us into space than an elevator

EDIT: of course, I also think beer is good for breakfast

 

[paulxcook]

Is there any reason why it's better to have a counterbalance in space versus just making the nanotubes long enough that the part out in space is enough to keep it standing? At that point it would be more like the elevator is tethered to earth, rather than "standing". Admittedly I am no engineer, so this might be an ignorant question. If so, please explain.

 

[So]

Originally posted by: paulxcook
Is there any reason why it's better to have a counterbalance in space versus just making the nanotubes long enough that the part out in space is enough to keep it standing? At that point it would be more like the elevator is tethered to earth, rather than "standing". Admittedly I am no engineer, so this might be an ignorant question. If so, please explain.

Not at all. Both are viable options. It basically depends on what is easier/cheaper. If we have something resembling a "space tug" and find a convenient rock to maneuver into orbit, and nanotubes turn out to be really difficult to make, we would probably be better off doing it that way, if nanotubes are cheap and no rocks are handy, we'll probably build the double length elevator.

The advantage of the asteroid is that we could probably build a city inside it, instead of lifting the parts, the advantage of the longer cable is that we could use it to launch ships further out into the system.

 

[CatKillaZ]

We were supposedly going to have flying cars by now, so I don't see it happening in our lifetimes.

 

[So]

Originally posted by: CatKillaZ
We were supposedly going to have flying cars by now, so I don't see it happening in our lifetimes.

Why do people all cite flying cars? We could build cars that fly, but we have the problem of people crashing while eating breakfast and talking on their cell phone as it is...can you imagine if they had flying cars?

 

[NanoStuff]

Originally posted by: CatKillaZ
We were supposedly going to have flying cars by now, so I don't see it happening in our lifetimes.

Congratulations, you have the reasoning capacity of a salamander.

 

[So]

Originally posted by: NanoStuff

Originally posted by: CatKillaZ
We were supposedly going to have flying cars by now, so I don't see it happening in our lifetimes.

Congratulations, you have the reasoning capacity of a salamander.

I dunno, salamanders are pretty smart

 

[CatKillaZ]

Nano - Thanks for adding to the conversation dooshbag

 

[Born2bwire]

Originally posted by: So

Originally posted by: NanoStuff

Originally posted by: CatKillaZ
We were supposedly going to have flying cars by now, so I don't see it happening in our lifetimes.

Congratulations, you have the reasoning capacity of a salamander.

I dunno, salamanders are pretty smart

And far more charismatic.

 

[paulxcook]

Originally posted by: CatKillaZ
Nano - Thanks for adding to the conversation dooshbag

Oh, the ironing.

 

[DrPizza]

In response to the population issue: Yes, in the future we'll be able to start colonies with a few individuals. However as far as solving any population problems on earth in the future, no, it's not gonna happen.

In response to mining for ethane and methane: It requires more energy to remove it from the gravitational field of the other planets and return it to earth than it actually provides. A good analogy would be attempting to drive from NYC to LosAngeles to refill a tank of gas.

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: CatKillaZ
Nano - Thanks for adding to the conversation dooshbag

Why do you stay here? Did you get a welcoming committee?

 

[So]

Originally posted by: Howard

Originally posted by: CatKillaZ
Nano - Thanks for adding to the conversation dooshbag

Why do you stay here? Did you get a welcoming committee?

The ATOT cat haters club gave him a warm welcome...

 

[manowar821]

Originally posted by: CatKillaZ
Nano - Thanks for adding to the conversation dooshbag

You mean "Douche-bag"?

The flying cars statement was pretty darn stupid.

 

[alrocky]

Space Elevator on PBS
Watched the show on PBS broadcast and it answered a lot of questions for me and should answered some in the thread.

 

[Jeff7]

Originally posted by: DrPizza
In response to the population issue: Yes, in the future we'll be able to start colonies with a few individuals. However as far as solving any population problems on earth in the future, no, it's not gonna happen.

Aw come on, there's always time for World War III. Give us a chance! We can do it!

 

[DrPizza]

Originally posted by: Jeff7

Originally posted by: DrPizza
In response to the population issue: Yes, in the future we'll be able to start colonies with a few individuals. However as far as solving any population problems on earth in the future, no, it's not gonna happen.

Aw come on, there's always time for World War III. Give us a chance! We can do it!

I didn't mean there weren't other ways of solving population problems; rather, sending them off into space isn't really a feasible option, nor will it in the future.

 

[sandorski]

Originally posted by: DrPizza

Originally posted by: Jeff7

Originally posted by: DrPizza
In response to the population issue: Yes, in the future we'll be able to start colonies with a few individuals. However as far as solving any population problems on earth in the future, no, it's not gonna happen.

Aw come on, there's always time for World War III. Give us a chance! We can do it!

I didn't mean there weren't other ways of solving population problems; rather, sending them off into space isn't really a feasible option, nor will it in the future.

Sending people off isn't really the reason for expanding out. Sending Supplies(Metals, Food, and other Needs) back to Earth is.

 

[YoungGun21]

Please no elevator music!

 

[Oceandevi]

Originally posted by: DrPizza

Originally posted by: Jeff7

Originally posted by: DrPizza
In response to the population issue: Yes, in the future we'll be able to start colonies with a few individuals. However as far as solving any population problems on earth in the future, no, it's not gonna happen.

Aw come on, there's always time for World War III. Give us a chance! We can do it!

I didn't mean there weren't other ways of solving population problems; rather, sending them off into space isn't really a feasible option, nor will it in the future.

You cant really know that. The first boats were canoes or something similar right?
Now we have cruise ships, cargo ships.... I just think that space tech is very much in its infancy. It has been stifled/ignored for so long now.

We have never even built an interplanetary manned craft. If we ever get to that point it will be interesting. Once we can "safely" and cheaply build in space we can expand as we damn well please.

Now how about the prospect of a private space agency/"air"line. These be very interesting days sirs.