From: vince@offshore.ai (Vincent Cate) Newsgroups: sci.physics,sci.astro,sci.space.policy,sci.materials,sci.energy Subject: Re: beanstalks (was Re: Metallic hydrogen ...) References: <40C0B48F.F477E3F7@mchsi.com> <40C3BCDF.A0B730E7@hate.spam.net> NNTP-Posting-Host: 209.88.68.230 Message-ID: <9186edb5.0406070549.44aacf7e@posting.google.com> George William Herbert: >We are not proposing such projects. > >Well respected people like the late Dr. Robert L. Forward, >Dr. Robert P. Hoyt, Dr. Brad Edwards, etc., are proposing >such projects. We just think they're an interesting idea. > >The physics behind space tethers and space elevators have been >reviewed extensively. When someone is giggling at space elevators, like Edwards proposes, it is wrong to lump together space tether projects proposed by Forward and Hoyt to try to give the elevator credibility. Forward talks about beanstalks in his SF/science book "Indistinguishable From Magic" but I doubt very much that Forward or Hoyt ever proposed a beanstalk project. This association tarnishes the good name of space tethers, Forward, and Hoyt. Getting associated with the giggle factor of space elevators may well be the biggest problems facing space tethers. The reality is that the untra-strong carbon-nanotube composites needed to make a 1 micron thick ribbon that can lift tons does not yet exist. People are right to be skeptical about it. Edwards could have to wait a very long time, or maybe he will never get the material. If people want to giggle at Edwards or space elevators, just help them by pointing out that the material does not yet exist, so it does sound a bit funny now. Just to be very clear to other readers, rotating space tethers can be designed using existing materials like Spectra-2000 (tm) and they are far thicker than 1 micron. -- Vince ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 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