From: vince@offshore.ai (Vincent Cate) Newsgroups: sci.space.tech Subject: Re: Technical obstacles to cheap LEO access References: <3eb6e2ae.934151178@nntp.ix.netcom.com> <497d06a6.0212012307.3b9d17e@posting.google.com> <9186edb5.0212221923.7711d058@posting.google.com> NNTP-Posting-Host: 207.42.133.230 Message-ID: <9186edb5.0212241646.4d5dc110@posting.google.com> "Anthony Q. Bachler" wrote in message news:... > semi-tethers were a good solution before materials that could actually > handle building a full tether were found. The only work left to be done now > is to develop a way to manufacture long strands and get them into place. > The long strands problem is nearing solution, the getting them into place > has been solved ever since sputnik. If you want to get a geo-stationary tether into place, I think you will save more than a factor of 10 on your billions of dollars to launch the thing by first building a small spinning tether. While we have known how to launch things since Sputnik, we have yet to be able to do it cheaply. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Vincent Cate Space Tether Enthusiast vince@offshore.ai http://spacetethers.com/ Anguilla, East Caribbean http://offshore.ai/vince ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ You have to take life as it happens, but you should try to make it happen the way you want to take it. - German Proverb