JaggedSac on 28 September 2009
| mrstickball said: Manus - Yes, the space elevator would have an ending point, about 100,000km 'up'. At that point, you'd have a counterweight that would ensure the tether stayed at it's desired location, as well as be the first 'real' space base. At this point, the supplies could be distributed to wherever their destination would want to take them. Also, concerning the pricing: There are many quotes as to what it could cost, depending on source. The Japanese have quoted that they can do it for $5b USD (1 trillion yen). Some US studies put it at $6.2B. Still other studies put it at $20-$40B for the first elevator, with massively reducing costs afterwards. I don't really think NASA has the capability to do this, honestly. They barely can fund the ISS and some piecemeal missions, so I doubt such a serious project should be run by a federal program. Personally, if I were the governor of California, or any south-western state, I would consider working with private businesses and try to build a spaceport with the elevator. I know that New Mexico has a spaceport - maybe it could be put there? http://www.spaceportamerica.com/ |
Is California a valid location for a space elevator? I read(Arthur C Clarke book) that the location is key and closer to the equator is best.
