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gbbloom OP t1_j1wounb wrote

Reply to comment by andmewithoutmytowel in Why don't we plan for more "staging" at orbital platforms? by gbbloom

That would be absolutely incredible!! Was it theoretical or was someone hoping to fund it?

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KIrkwillrule t1_j1wtcbn wrote

We don't have a material with the tensile strength yet. Space elevator will likely replace much of the rockets used for putting stuff in space, but first we need something strong enough to whip around that fast without shredding itself.

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DStaal t1_j1wyhg1 wrote

I believe carbon nanotubes are barely strong enough in theory - so you just have to make a cable of a reasonable thickness out of them long enough to reach past geostationary orbit without any flaws in any of the nanotubes that make it up - each of which has to reach the entire way. Currently I think we can probably produce them in lengths of maybe as much as a foot? Probably less, maybe much less.

And then you have to make sure there’s no issues with it, as it falling down would cause a global catastrophe.

They’d actually be much easier to build on the Moon or Mars, and could be very useful there.

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KIrkwillrule t1_j20v4dm wrote

What a job that will be. Integrity testing of the first space elevator will definitely be done by a robot, but I'd love to be the guy in charge of watching the robot lolol

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andmewithoutmytowel t1_j1wrzvt wrote

No, this was either a theory I read or part of a science fiction book. I’m trying to recall it.

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