Re: beanstalks (was Re: Metallic hydrogen ...)

From: Hop David (hopspageHATESSPAaMmM_at_tabletoptelephone.com)
Date: 06/11/04 

Date: Fri, 11 Jun 2004 13:11:42 -0700

Uncle Al wrote:

>>>Hey git - how high can you stack solid stone?
>>
>>Hey Uncle Olestra - http://yarchive.net/space/exotic/tethers.html
>
>
> NO graphene structures allowed - no carbon fiber, no carbon nanotubes,
> no char bonding - for their electical conductivity intrinsic and
> ion-doped from radiation. Organics (Kevlar, Spectra) will
> disintegrate for the temp, UV, and hard particulate radiation in the
> inner van Allen belt. You cannot afford the weight of any shielding.
>
> Scrith is not available, nor are shitanium and unobtainium.

"existing graphite/epoxy" isn't unobtainium.

> Hey git, do yo think you hoist an object 100 miles up and let it go,
> and it orbits?

Hey Uncle Olestra - 10 to 60 km ain't 100 miles. And a compression tower
doesn't have to be in orbit to stay up.

Compression towers have been suggested to get out of the thickest part
of earth's atmosphere. The rest of the elevator would be tether. 

-- 
Hop David
http://clowder.net/hop/index.html
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