An elevator that brings you into space? Perfect vantage point to see the Space-Nazi invasion.
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xn4DW1uvsAE[/media]
This would be awesome if it can ever be accomplished.
[QUOTE=Used Car Salesman;18834343]The counterweight isn't in geosynchronous orbit, it's out past it, and centrifugal force keeps the cable taut. If it were severed on the ground, the counterweight would be launched out into space. The station attached to the cable would be in geosynchronous, and if they were smart they'd have a means to cut the counterweight loose as soon as they lost connection with the ground, thus leaving them in a relatively stable orbit.[/QUOTE]
How can you have an object maintain a stable orbit over a single point on the surface of the Earth other than by having the object orbit in geosync?
No the counterweight [b]has[/b] to orbit in geosync orbit, otherwise it would orbit faster or slower than the rotational speed of the earth, causing the tether to wrap around the Earth, pulling the counterweight out of the sky with it.
The higher an object's altitude, the longer it takes to orbit. This is a fact of physics. If you were to accelerate an object that was orbiting past geosync orbit to the speed of a satellite in geosync orbit, the object would lower into geosync orbit.
[QUOTE=tjl;18865727]How can you have an object maintain a stable orbit over a single point on the surface of the Earth other than by having the object orbit in geosync?
No the counterweight [b]has[/b] to orbit in geosync orbit, otherwise it would orbit faster or slower than the rotational speed of the earth, causing the tether to wrap around the Earth, pulling the counterweight out of the sky with it.
The higher an object's altitude, the longer it takes to orbit. This is a fact of physics. If you were to accelerate an object that was orbiting past geosync orbit to the speed of a satellite in geosync orbit, the object would lower into geosync orbit.[/QUOTE]
I think if you accelerated something that's higher than geosync to the speed of something that is in geosync, then it's orbit wouldn't be perfectly round, so as well as varying altitudes, it's speed is going to vary too, I don't think this whole counter weight idea would work either, Unless it had a 30,000 mile fuel line
I'd like to point out that the counterweight has to be in GEOSTATIONARY orbit. Not geosynchronous orbit. Something in geosynchronous orbit passes over the same point on the Earth once per day, it doesn't stay above that point indefinitely. That's what geostationary orbit is.
[b]Edit:[/b]
Hmm, that can't be right. I recall reading that the entire thing would have to be about 70000km long, geostationary orbit is half of that. I think the part of the elevator that's 'inhabited' may have to be at geostationary orbit, while the tether extends out to twice that distance.
Terrorists are gonna FUCK that thing up!
[QUOTE=sltungle;18873286]I'd like to point out that the counterweight has to be in GEOSTATIONARY orbit. Not geosynchronous orbit. Something in geosynchronous orbit passes over the same point on the Earth once per day, it doesn't stay above that point indefinitely. That's what geostationary orbit is.
[b]Edit:[/b]
Hmm, that can't be right. I recall reading that the entire thing would have to be about 70000km long, geostationary orbit is half of that. I think the part of the elevator that's 'inhabited' may have to be at geostationary orbit, while the tether extends out to twice that distance.[/QUOTE]
Not necessarily. A geostationary orbit is a circular geosynchronous orbit exactly over the equator. While it would be useful for launch purposes to be as close to the equator as possible (highest rotational velocity of the earth is at the equator), it's not impossible for the counterweight to be north or south of the equator, in a geosynchronous orbit, but not necessarily geostationary (though the orbit can't be elliptical, obviously).
Also, wikipedia has a fairly good article about the physics of a space elevator.
[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_elevator[/url]
[QUOTE=tjl;18865727]How can you have an object maintain a stable orbit over a single point on the surface of the Earth other than by having the object orbit in geosync?
No the counterweight [b]has[/b] to orbit in geosync orbit, otherwise it would orbit faster or slower than the rotational speed of the earth, causing the tether to wrap around the Earth, pulling the counterweight out of the sky with it.
The higher an object's altitude, the longer it takes to orbit. This is a fact of physics. If you were to accelerate an object that was orbiting past geosync orbit to the speed of a satellite in geosync orbit, the object would lower into geosync orbit.[/QUOTE]
The counterweight isn't in a free orbit, it's tethered to the planet. and to keep tension on that tether it is placed higher than geostationary orbit. It doesn't wrap around the earth, because whirling a ball around on a piece of string doesn't wrap it around you. The STATION is placed in geostationary, halfway along the tether or so. This is the only place you could reasonably dock with the thing. Any lower and your approaching spacecraft would have to waste fuel to hover, because below geostationary the tether is moving at the speed the earth rotates, which is slower than the speed needed for an orbit at that altitude.
Higher than geostationary, the tether is moving at faster than free orbit speed for that altitude, so you'd have to be coming in from an interplanetary flight. The only place where you could do a regular orbital rendezvous without a lot of fuss is at geostationary, where the tether is moving at the same speed as a free orbit would.
[img]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ee/Space_elevator_structural_diagram.svg/240px-Space_elevator_structural_diagram.svg.png[/img]
[QUOTE=Ilya;18851092]What's the moon doing?[/QUOTE]
Just chillin, floating up there.
Well, this seems interesting, though it does seem a bit far fetched.
Not this again...
Whoever thought of this must play Halo lol.
[QUOTE=killkill85;18913066]Whoever thought of this must play Halo lol.[/QUOTE]
The idea has been around since long before Halo.
this would be win, people could commit suicide by jumping out of it!
waste of time and money
Next stop earth's basement.
What if there's a fire? Do you still take the space elevator?
It reminds me of the solar power absorbing orbital elevators from Mobile Suit Gundam 00
[img]http://brianandrew.files.wordpress.com/2008/06/gundam-reality02.jpg[/img]
[img]http://animehistory.files.wordpress.com/2007/10/snapshot20071015001210.jpg[/img]
[img]http://static.squidoo.com/resize/squidoo_images/-1/draft_lens1854963module8252000photo_SolarElevator1.jpg1203011942[/img]
[QUOTE=ProboardslolV2;18915517]waste of time and money[/QUOTE]
I agree, 24/7 unlimited solar power is stupid.
Hurr.
It's way, wayyyyyyyyy beyond current technology. Even if we were to somehow build it, it would get demolished by micro meteorites.
10 years seems a bit optimistic knowing how things work with space travel and such. Its going to be 50 years I bet before anyone remotely considers building one seriously.
Space fanatics always seem over optimistic now that I look at it :v:
why does we need a elevator that lead to... nothing?
[QUOTE=Haiduc21;18917516]I agree, 24/7 unlimited solar power is stupid.
Hurr.[/QUOTE]
Unlimited amounts of time spent fighting over who has control over it is stupid.
If Dr.Kleiner can build dog from scratch, then we can build an elevator with $20 billion!
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