Taking Sides: elevator to space vs moonbase

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So apparently the NASA scientists are planning to set a base on the moon but would they be better to build a space elevator first, to haul things inexpensively? Either way they cost about the same.
Russian scientist Konstantin Tsiolkovsky thougt about it in 1895, Arthur Clarke popularized it and now "this mega-project is made practical by the tiniest of technologies - carbon nanotubes."
Here's a ok link that explains how it works. http://www.space.com/businesstechnology/technology/space_elevator_020327-1.html

(more images)

― Sébastien Chikara (Sébastien Chikara), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 04:35 (twenty-one years ago)

"cost about the same" :

moonbase + mars trip: $12 billion
(but the Russians said they could do it a lot cheaper than NASA
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=624&ncid=753&e=10&u=/ap/20040115/ap_on_sc/russia_us_space)

space elevator: under $10 billion

― Sébastien Chikara (Sébastien Chikara), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 04:40 (twenty-one years ago)

Who needs tall buildings to fly planes into when you've got a space elevator, hmm?

― Johnney B (Johnney B), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 08:18 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm much more interested in an Elevator to Hell.

< /obscure Canadian indie joke that no one except me and maybe Noodles will get >

― the river fleet, Tuesday, 27 January 2004 15:04 (twenty-one years ago)

i am in awe of the elevator concept, bound to get stuck between planets though

― stevem (blueski), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 15:15 (twenty-one years ago)

actually, i worked on a (rather unsuccessful) carbon nanotube project while still in school. assuming we figure out a way to cheaply manufacture these things, and glue/bind them together, we'll have a building material stronger(and relatively LIGHTER), that _anything_ else out there.

― Huggy Dork (Kingfish), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 15:31 (twenty-one years ago)

Combine both ideas and tether the Moon to the Earth = biggest swingball set in the universe.

― robster (robster), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 15:36 (twenty-one years ago)

T/S: Elevator to Hell vs Moonsocket
http://www.hrmphotography.com/gallery/bandphotos/msocket01.jpg

― Aaron A., Tuesday, 27 January 2004 15:37 (twenty-one years ago)

is the space elevator going to be big-ish? i get claustrophobic being in an elevator for like 2 floors, let alone to space. but maybe if it was big enough, that'd be ok.

― colette (a2lette), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 15:45 (twenty-one years ago)

an older news bit on elevators

note that such elevators shouldn't be considered a "tower" so much as a "tether".

get a long enough structure with a heavy enough weight on the end and the physics change from "pushing up a building" to "holding a tether in place".

― Huggy Dork (Kingfish), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 15:56 (twenty-one years ago)

It'd be more like riding a train. You could have windows and stuff too.

― Stuart (Stuart), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 16:04 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh wow! All aboard for the Space Train!

― Johnney B, Tuesday, 27 January 2004 18:30 (twenty-one years ago)

what about a beanstalk?

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 18:37 (twenty-one years ago)

Once you have one space elevator, the costs of building more are like 1/25th.

― Jon Williams (ex machina), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 18:38 (twenty-one years ago)

As long as it doesn't fall over and wrap around the earth twice, slamming into the ground at terminal velocity, everything's fine.

― Stuart (Stuart), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 18:41 (twenty-one years ago)

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=585&e=4&u=/nm/20040118/sc_nm/space_weapons_dc

Good article saying U.S could use the moonbase to get near perfect fuel source Helium 3 (!) but also as possible battleground

Concerning the military angle of the project here's a hint of how things might go down regionally (ps river fleet got the reference rigt:-)

Duceppe cautions Martin against backing space shield
http://paulmartintime.ca/mediacoverage/000171.html
grosso modo he said :"We must oppose, by every means possible, the militarization of space"

― Sébastien Chikara (Sébastien Chikara), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 18:52 (twenty-one years ago)

As long as it doesn't fall over and wrap around the earth twice, slamming into the ground at terminal velocity, everything's fine.

the likelihood is more it detaching and flinging off into space.

― Huggy Dork (Kingfish), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 19:02 (twenty-one years ago)

Expect delays.

― Stuart (Stuart), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 19:12 (twenty-one years ago)

As long as it doesn't fall over and wrap around the earth twice, slamming into the ground at terminal velocity, everything's fine.

If you can think of this scenario I'm sure investors and scientists will think about it too and find a solution before implementing it, something like a safety device to remotely disassemble it to let it fall in the ocean before it gets dangerously unstable.

― Sébastien Chikara (Sébastien Chikara), Thursday, 29 January 2004 18:46 (twenty-one years ago)

seven months pass...

The third international conference on space elevators, where they talked about building one in the next two decades.

― Sébastien Chikara (Sébastien Chikara), Monday, 20 September 2004 22:44 (twenty-one years ago)

This thing will turn the earth into a giant lollipop.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Monday, 20 September 2004 23:06 (twenty-one years ago)

Actually, more like a caramel apple.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Monday, 20 September 2004 23:08 (twenty-one years ago)

my heart says moonbase, my head says space elevators.

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Monday, 20 September 2004 23:14 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.audiobooksonline.com/shopsite/media/1559946954.jpg

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Monday, 20 September 2004 23:16 (twenty-one years ago)

four months pass...

another way to go at it: build it on the moon first
http://www.universetoday.com/am/publish/lunar_space_elevator.html

― Sébastien Chikara (Sébastien Chikara), Thursday, 20 January 2005 19:52 (twenty years ago)

I'm disappointed to find that the joke I was planning to make was already made. By me.

― Masonic Boom-Boom (kate), Friday, 21 January 2005 11:19 (twenty years ago)

seven months pass...

http://www.elevator2010.org/site/competition.html

Elevator 2010's Annual Space Elevator Games

Elevator:2010 is designed to address the "social engineering" of the Space Elevator. Taking our cue from the X-prize, solar car races, and various other competitive ventures, we use engineering competitions as a tool to capture mindshare in academia, space enthusiast community, and the general public.

― Sébastien Chikara (Sébastien Chikara), Thursday, 25 August 2005 18:34 (twenty years ago)

I just want assistance getting off the couch when it's time to go to bed. Is that too much to ask?

― Beth Parker, Thursday, 25 August 2005 19:43 (twenty years ago)

space mining can play an important part to create a basic income guarantee as AI-enabled robotics replaced human labor.

― Sébastien Chikara (Sébastien Chikara), Thursday, 25 August 2005 19:55 (twenty years ago)

Vote Fraud on the Moon Base.

― Sasha (sgh), Friday, 26 August 2005 00:58 (twenty years ago)

I suggest Sas,ha, hi, + people i=)terested i=) what might happe=) whe=) tech=)ology goes further i=)to the realm of voting to check this site out http://www.accelerateddemocracy.net/ , that I heard about like yesterday and made me think of reviving that thread RFI: Open E-Voting Systems yeh

― Sébastien Chikara (Sébastien Chikara), Friday, 26 August 2005 02:38 (twenty years ago)

three months pass...

extraterrestrial importations, like, resources to be found in space (fuel, space solar power, rare and useful metals, should be used to finance social programs.

would it be worth it to redo all the planet's electrical network using silver wires instead of copper wires? would it save the planet a lot of ressources in the long run?

other creative examples of space exploration for social justice are welcomed.

― Sébastien Chikara (Sébastien Chikara), Saturday, 10 December 2005 20:47 (nineteen years ago)

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