Is it true that NASA plans to build a space elevator that would use carbon nanotubes to move materials from Earth to outer space?
Is it true that NASA plans to build a space elevator that would use carbon nanotubes to move materials from Earth to outer space?
Well, it’s not. It is a real possibility — a “space elevator” — that researchers are considering today as a far-out space transportation system for the next century. David Smitherman of NASA/Marshall’s Advanced Projects Office has compiled plans for such an elevator that could turn science fiction into reality.
Who first thought of the space elevator?
scientist Konstantin Tsiolkovsky
History of The Space Elevator. The concept behind the space elevator was first thought of by Russian scientist Konstantin Tsiolkovsky in 1865.
Can you build a space elevator?
A space elevator is possible with today’s technology, researchers say (we just need to dangle it off the moon) Space elevators would dramatically reduce the cost of reaching space but have never been technologically feasible.
Can we build a spaceship in space?
NASA has contracted several companies to test a satellite-building robot in space. The most expensive part of space exploration is lifting material into space. Instead of building on the ground, and launching material into space — NASA is skipping the hurdle, and building spacecraft in orbit.
How much does it cost to build a space elevator?
A space elevator built according to the Edwards proposal is estimated to cost $6 billion.
Are there space elevators for the new millennium?
An Advanced Earth-Space Infrastructure for the New Millennium Space Elevators Compiled by D.V. Smitherman, Jr. 35812 Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Alabama Marshall Space Flight Center, Alabama George C. Marshall Space Flight Center AD33 Space Administration National Aeronautics and NASA/CP—2000–210429 August 2000
Where was space elevator workshop held in 1999?
This conference publication, “Space Elevators: An Advanced Earth-Space Infrastructure for the New Millennium,” is based on findings from the Advanced Space Infrastructure Workshop on Geostationary Orbiting Tether “Space Elevator” Concepts, held in June 1999 at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Alabama.
Where did the idea of space elevators come from?
The concept finally came to the attention of the space flight engineering community through a technical paper written in 1975 by Jerome Pearson of the Air Force Research Laboratory. This paper was the inspiration for Clarke’s novel.
What’s the theoretical strength of a space elevator?
The desired strength for the space elevator is about 62 GPa. Carbon nanotubes have exceeded all other materials and appear to have a theoretical strength far above the desired range for space elevator structures.