(no subject)

[coyotegoth]

Ever since it was first popularised by Arthur C Clarke, the idea of a “space elevator” has languished in the realms of science fiction. But now a team of British scientists has taken the first step on what could be a high-tech stairway to heaven.

Spurred on by a $4m (£2.7m) research prize from Nasa, a team at Cambridge University has created the world’s strongest ribbon: a cylindrical strand of carbon that combines lightweight flexibility with incredible strength and has the potential to stretch vast distances. The development has been seized upon by the space scientists, who believe the technology could allow astronauts to travel into space via a cable thousands of miles long — a space elevator.

Comments

[planetdracula.livejournal.com]

yes please God please God let this happen

[agentanderson.livejournal.com]

At least one bunch of guys is trying to make it happen commercially:

http://www.liftport.com/

Really the only unsolved part of this is producing super-tensile cable in industrial quantities for cheap.

[single-path.livejournal.com]

Even though you put the reason in there, I still want to know why. It doesn't seem feasible. In fact, it almost seems pointless. I'm all for space exploration and I like that the Space Station is coming along. But a space elevator....how would that even work?? What if it gets hit by something? What if, despite it's supposed strength, that it snaps. What happens if it breaks down? How would they get out?

It'd be kinda neat if it could happen, but I just don't see how.

[mjlayman.livejournal.com]

It would need deflectors to keep space debris from running into it (it would only be into LEO) and if it snaps, it will wrap around part of the world. People will die. Then again, people die in land elevators all the time.