Are space elevators viable and worth it?

Are space elevators viable and worth it?

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en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunar_space_elevator
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Yes, and yes.

Problem right now is fabrication.

carbon nanotubes greatly lose strength for every atom out of place.

so 10 atoms out of place on a cable that should have gigatons of tensile strength. results in a cable that a few hundred pounds of tensile strength.

How would one produce enough nanotubes for such a project? What would the cost be?

Do you know what a realistic construction for a macroscopic carbon-nanotube-based "rope" would be? Seems to me you need to make strands that are each a continuous nanotube miles long, which is quite a feat. Can they be shorter and braided more like a rope? I just imagine that fraying apart under the massive tension.

Not protesting, I find the idea cool, just don't know much about it.

Billions but i'd be worth the money in the long run

Maybe. Issue 1 is making strong enough materials, issue 2 is power transmission efficiency.

In terms of energy use, space elevators might be less efficient than rockets because of the low efficiency of laser power beaming.

There is an interesting case for a lunar space elevator, which can be constructed with materials we have today. One of the use cases for that is being able to get stuff from LEO to the lunar surface using high ISP, but low thrust ion drives. This makes it cheaper to get a unit of mass to the lunar surface.

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunar_space_elevator

>gigatons to a few hundred pounds

It doesn't work that way. Stop memeing

How would security of the elevator be carried out?

They will never work on Earth.

We could probably do it on Mars with current technology and infinite money.

On Mars yes, on Earth no.

are you afraid refugees get in to get to space?

Unapologetically gunning down anything that didn't come down a specific road, or any flying vehicle that flies over the perimeter, which should be 5 miles in diameter.

A space elevator that brought people to the areas of construction for orbital colonies would be the single most important structure in human history. It would have to be protected under any cost.

and who exactly would have the right to control it?

America, as always.

If we were able to find a material, like carbon nano tubes in a large enough quantity, we could use that as the elevator, but the source for power is another problem.

How do you stop the space station holding the rope from being pulled to earth without constant thrust?

you really should google what a space elevator is.

presumably whatever nation/s funded it's manufacture; or the US World Police.

Are you saying you want sandniggers bringing Islam to space?

dont be so racist senpai, its the religion of penis ;)

why do you say that?

Mars wouldn't require unobtainium fantasy materials. So it's actually doable.

Nanotubes exist.

So do Beryllium hydride and Ozone. That doesn't mean we use them as rocket fuel even though they would give an Isp of 535-670 seconds, vastly superior to even the best LH2/LOX engines. Because for those purposes Beryllium is pretty much unobtainium, too. Just look at the price per kg.

Fucking stupid. One rocket started from literally anywhere on the planet hitting this thing and the jules vernes dream is over.

The actual material requirements for the cable aren't that ridiculous. The mass of the entire tether is in the range of 40 metric tons.
Do you have any math to show that Mars space elevators are possible?

How do we prevent terrorists from striking this vulnerable and fragile target?

have noone within 50 miles of it? it also will be built in the ocean as well

gas the Muslims, and the Jews too, just to be safe.