Re: LSAM
- From: "tomcat" <jlavine@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: 12 Apr 2006 08:14:02 -0700
Brad Guth wrote:
I've read the page. You expect to drop a tether from a distance 58,000 kmThat's basically the idea, as having to work this initially from the
from the moon to the moon and anchor it?
top down, although dozens of methods come to mind that should be
discussed in specific detail. Once something of robotic fiber
manufacturing is established upon the surface of the moon, as then it's
a process of building this tether capacity from the bottom up.
1738 km? I thought you started from 58,000 km? Please explain what theSorry, I'm obviously confusing you with silly facts.
1738 km is vs. the 58,000 km, distance?
1738 km is the distance from the center of the moon to it's surface. I
believe that's called radius or r1. As opposed to dealing with the 6
fold greater gravity of mother Earth and of Earth's r1 = 6378 km,
whereas upon the moon the tether loading is obviously starting off at
1/6th G, and it's obviously becoming further improved by another 4:1
once having gone a mere 1738 km above the deck, as opposed to the ESE
and spendy CNT fiasco taking 6378 km plus having 6 fold greater initial
gravity factor to start with. therefore, the LSE tether application is
so much better off than just the 6:1 advantage.
1/6th G means that the basalt composite tether itself weighs 1/6th to
start off with (say 2.8 g/cm3 /6 = .4667 g/cm3, whereas 1/6th the
weight at 1/6th the gravity is what I perceive gives this tether
application a potential 36:1 advantage, and/or receiving the little
extra benefit of 6378/1738 = 3.67:1 squared. In other words, as the
LSE tether trails away from the surface of the moon (as headed for
LL-1), it's starting off with having at least the 6:1 advantage and
it's getting so much lighter so much quicker than comparative to what
the ESE tether has to deal with, and there's obviously damn little if
any factors of weather to contend with, supposedly few if any
commercial aircraft, lighting should not be a factor, there's currently
no lunar Taliban that'll be trying to take it out, and hopefully no
Greenpeace or ELF protestors to get rid of.
As compared to the ESE tether mass self-loading.
I'm thinking at best we might see as great as a 36:1 * 3.67:1 = 132:1
advantage.
At the very worse it could be offering 6 * 13.47 = 81:1 advantage
Considering the 4.8+ GPa worth of basalt fiber to start with, as such I
don't see the problem, especially since the taper and/or stepped
configuration of the LSE tether has virtually no physical limitations
or of even shape considerations. It could be a very large tapered
straw like configuration, whereas the lunar base diameter of this
composite straw might be a km in diameter, whereas the upper most
destination attachment at the fairly massive 1.28 km CM/ISS that's
58,000+ km above is perhaps down to as little as 10 meters in diameter,
thus a 100:1 taper ratio.
I'm thinking that at most a 10:1 ratio would be more than sufficient,
as well as having a 100 meter attachment diameter at the CM/ISS would
certainly look a whole lot more robust. Another alternative is to make
this tether straw wall thickness as being of what's tapered, thus the
top to bottom inside diameter of this composite straw would remain as a
relative constant and only a 10:1 wall thickness ratio would make the
bottom attachment worth perhaps 100 mm thick, and of the very top of
this element being as little as 10 mm thick.
This tether/straw configuration would otherwise suggest a great deal of
redundancy and over-kill capacity, as well as for being easily
repaired. It the tether was ever terminated by an unavoidable asteroid
or sizable meteor that got past the 100 GW laser cannons, as such the
onboard reaction thrusters would manage the CM/ISS station-keeping
until the tether is reestablished. it's obviously a wee bit more
complicated than that, but you should by now have some fundamental
notions as to what I trying to convey.
-
Brad Guth
You climb your basalt tether. I'll settle back in a comfortable lounge
chair some 600 feet beneath the Moon's surface, squeeze some lemon
juice into a glass of Moon water (with a little scotch), and watch you
on a closed circuit TV, hanging up there, trying to get to the top.
The perfect solitude of my Moon Cave will be offset by the sweet notes
of "Moonlight in Vermont" while my female android prepares my bed. I
named her, "Friday". And, when you slip, catching yourself with one
hand, I'll be in bed with 'Friday' reading an Isaac Asimov book. BTW,
she does back rubs too!
Soon musical chimes wake me, a quick bacon and eggs breakfast, and I
turn on the TV only to find you still hanging onto your basalt tether.
You aren't moving anymore. Friday is acting a bit distressed about it
too.
Anyway, it turns out that you 'expired' because you forgot to take Moon
water with you, and you dehydrated. You were always complaining about
it's green color and bitter taste. But all you needed to do was use
triple reverse osmosis and add a touch of scotch. Or, maybe, it's add
a touch of Moon water.
Well, after the burial, it's back to the Cave where 'Friday' is waiting
for me. She is 'fully functional' and has an encylopedic memory. But
we miss you, nonetheless.
"Friday! Stop that," I say -- partly in jest.
"Ooooh, I know you don't want me to!" she says as she unzips my
Space Suit.
A few hours pass.
"You know, Brad should have brought that canteen of Moon water I
had given him" I say . . . partly in jest.
"Brad, who dear? Friday asks.
The Earth sets, and the Sun still shines, on the grave next to the
basalt tether.
tomcat
.
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