Yahoo group space-elevator From: "vincecate" Date: Mon Jun 28, 2004 1:44 pm Subject: Re: Scientist Sees Space Elevator in 15 Years ADVERTISEMENT --- In space-elevator@yahoogroups.com, "Robert Seeberger" wrote: > Edwards said he probably needs about two more years of development on > the carbon nanotubes to obtain the strength needed. After that, he > believes work on the project can begin. In 2002 Edwards said in his book, on page 26: "... we believe that the technology required for construction of the space elevator ribbon will be ready by 2005 but possibly sooner. Specifically, a carbon nanotube composite fiber or ribbon with a tensile strength of greater than 100 GPa should be made within the next few years." It will be interesting to see what we have next year, but right now it seems he was optimistic by a factor of 100, since we are still around 1 GPa in CNT ropes (maybe at the current conference someone will announce something better). If he was too optimistic in 2002 he is probably too optimistic in 2004. -- Vince ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Vincent Cate Space Tether Enthusiast vince@o... 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