Continued Success for Space Elevator Tests

Jacki O writes "According to their Web site the Space Elevator company Lifport recently managed to get their platform and climbing robot to the mile-high mark over the Arizona desert." From the announcement: "A revolutionary way to send cargo into space, the LiftPort Space Elevator will consist of a carbon nanotube composite ribbon eventually stretching some 62,000 miles from earth to space. The LiftPort Space Elevator will be anchored to an offshore sea platform near the equator in the Pacific Ocean, and to a small man-made counterweight in space. Mechanical lifters are expected to move up and down the ribbon, carrying such items as people, satellites and solar power systems into space."

I can top that.

[Orrin Bloquy]

I stood outside my door this morning in Flagstaff, which is 6200 feet above the Arizona desert.

Acme

[lbmouse]

I think the theory for this method of transportation was disproved by Wile E Coyote [wikipedia.org] a few years ago.

Oh no...

[AdolChristin]

I've read Gunnm, these space elevators can only lead to a power struggle between the elites at the top of the tower and the service people at the bottom (with a few crafty middle men getting rich transporting the goods!) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_Angel/ [wikipedia.org]

Well, you know what they say about assume...

[Skyshadow]

Actually, the ribbon will be tied to a really large bird.

A space bird.

High altitude balloons?

[jahudabudy]

The platform, a proprietary system that the company has named "HALE" (High Altitude Long Endurance), was secured in place by an arrangement of high altitude balloons, which were also used to launch it

Uhm, how useful will this be when they try to extend the elevator outside the atmosphere? Presumably, they have alternative methods worked out for stabilizing the zero-gravity portions, but somehow, Space Elevator == balloons is not nearly as exciting as Space Elevator == really cool new future technology.

I'll be excited when I can take the Space Elevator up to my penthouse suite at Hotel LaGrange. Unless, of course, I look out and see there are freaking balloons still involved.

I'm afraid I can't do that Dave

[Yaksha42]

The platform, a proprietary system that the company has named "HALE"

Oh come on, they're just asking for it.

If this thing snaps.....

[NDPTAL85]

...won't it whiplash and kill people all over the world?

I wonder...

[Eric Damron]

...when they extend that thing if the moon gets nervous?

in other news

[revery]

According to their Web site the Space Elevator company Lifport recently managed to get their platform and climbing robot to the mile-high mark over the Arizona desert.

In other news today, Denver-based Space Elevator company Black Shaft Industries have succeeded in achieving a height of 35 feet with their platform and climber, still easily besting their rivals Lifport. "We had a head start," acknowledges Chief Engineer, Michael Wesznick, "but our elevator didn't really need it. Plus, it has a cooler name." Wesznick went on to claim, that the elevator in question (named "Darth-Vator" to those of you who were wondering) will be the "father of all other space elevators", and, adding to this reporter's confustion, will at some point in the future "betray the Emperor to save it's son's life." Personally, I'm rooting for Lifport.

Re:1 down, 61,999 to go!

[Voltageaav]

You're reading my thoughts too, I feel really stupid for laughing at the tinfoil hat people now... Must get to the grocery store...

Re:1500 feet not a mile

[lucabrasi999]

"According to their Web site the Space Elevator company Lifport recently managed to get their platform and climbing robot to the mile-high mark over the Arizona desert."

The robot only made it around 1500 feet. The cable was a mile long.

Rule Number 1: Don't let the facts ruin a good story.

Re:Well, you know what they say about assume...

[plalonde2]

A European or an African swallow? Or maybe an albatross?

Heres a question

[Darkman, Walkin Dude]

Why don't we just build a 500 mile high pyramid of some description? And maybe run a ramp up it, and a pulley system maybe so we can use very simple earthbound techniques to get projectiles to an incredible speed before liftoff? Alternately, its surely easier and cheaper to get a launch from 500 miles up, or put the tail end of a space elevator there. And we could do it with existing technology easily. Its like the question, if there were stairs going to the moon, could you walk it... the answer to that one is yes.

Re:I'm a little confused.

[interiot]

and make a robot to move back and forth along the string...

and shoot laser beams out of your head that powers the robot...

and have safety procedures in place in case the string breaks, and the robot comes plummeting towards your head...

and have the multinational population living on the surface of your head come to some agreement about who's going to finance, maintain, and operate the thing...

Re:1500 feet not a mile

[kpwoodr]

Rule #2.

If you submit an article, you should be required to first RTFA!

Re:Heres a question

[Golias]

Why don't we just build a 500 mile high pyramid of some description?

Indeed! Then we shall be like gods!
Effettivamente! Allora saremo come i dii!
In der Tat! Dann sind wir wie Götter!
En effet! Alors nous serons comme des dieux!

Re:Heres a question

[Moofie]

You're high, aren't you?

Re:And if it falls?

[barawn]

Does the firm have any ideas on how to avoid tremendous death and destruction if this immensely long cable were to fall to the Earth, possibly hitting certain areas twice as badly if it were long enough to wrap more than once around?

Yes. They're going to deploy a massive cushion [wikipedia.org] around the Earth, consisting of a total of about 5000 trillion metric tons of gas. Roughly 78% will be nitrogen, and 21% will be oxygen.

If the cable breaks, the lower half will encounter this cushion at extremely high velocities, ripping it apart and causing it to flutter harmlessly to the ground.

No news about whether or not they'll patent the idea.

Worst problem

[wsanders]

A guy gets on at the bottom and punches all the buttons. For 100,000 km your're thinking, "asshole!"

Re:Well, you know what they say about assume...

[operagost]

I assume the bottom will be anchored by turtles... turtles all the way down!

Re:62k mile rope... what if it breaks?

[Minwee]

Don't mock the Society for the Conservation of Angular Momentum. It's a real problem and could lead to the heat death of the Universe if it isn't taken seriously, and soon.

Re:Heres a question

[Golias]

Got any about Hammurabi?

Are you kidding? I've got a stele full of them!

Re:Ah, the first robot in the Mile High Club

[adnonsense]

Let's just say it felt like we were floating on cloud nine [wiktionary.org] afterwards (although when I woke up I had a good look and the clouds did not seem to bear any visible numeric markings or other forms of a systematic classification system).

Re:Well, you know what they say about assume...

[kurzweilfreak]

Hell, anchor the top part in space with a turtle, then we can have turtles all the way up too!

Even more musings

[NoMaster]

Hell, you don't even need to reach escape velocity - just build a pyramid 36000km high, hoist stuff slowly up the side, then give it a gentle push!

Alien tourists would come to see the only planet in the galaxy that looks like an ice cream cone...

Re:I'm a little confused.

[kimvette]

and have the multinational population living on the surface of your head come to some agreement about who's going to finance, maintain, and operate the thing...

Oh sure! I can tell you the answer now!

American taxpayers will foot the bill, make it reality, and will maintain the thing, and then the rest of the world (meaning: France and a few other countries) will act surprised when the US actually wants to maintain control of it.