Re: Burt Rutans plans for a manned mission to Mars

"steve" <stephen.colbourne@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

:There is one potentially cheap way of getting into orbit that is just
:about possible to achieve with current materials and that is the
:rotating space elevator. This requires a long cable approx 1000km
:length attached to either a large mass at one end in low Earth orbit or
:twice the length without the mass (double ended).
:This cable rotates at such a speed that even though at the Cg is at
:orbital speed the lower end is travelling at a much slower speed
:allowing sub-orbital craft and even potentially aircraft to transfer
:mass which will then be transported upto orbital speed by the cable.
:Powering the whole cable, could be achieved by electro means or plasma
:drives.
:
:This will be built within the next decade I believe.

Yeah? How do you think they'll get it up?

If we can lift enough mass to put up a space elevator we don't need a
space elevator.

--
"Some people get lost in thought because it's such unfamiliar
territory."
--G. Behn
.

Relevant Pages

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