From: vince@offshore.ai (Vincent Cate) Newsgroups: sci.space.policy Subject: Re: Space elevator vs Rotovator References: <1064366747.427110@kyle.snap.net.nz> <9186edb5.0309250713.288117f3@ posting.google.com> NNTP-Posting-Host: 209.88.68.33 Message-ID: <9186edb5.0310012226.955e53b@posting.google.com> economic_refugee@yahoo.com (E.R.) wrote in message news:... > Nice essay, Vince. No, I mean that. Healthy debate is a _good_ > thing. :-) Thanks. > Agreed, 24k Shuttle flights is unfeasable. The Highlift scheme > requires 6 Shuttle trips, or an equal number of Delta 4/3 flights. The design we are working on bootstraps from 20,000 lbs plus the empty second stage of a Zenit. So this is like 1/18th the initial mass Highlift systems. >> "And this beaming power is a futeristic concept that makes it seem >> like tethers are not practical today" > > There is a design for the beaming laser (free electron type) on the > table today - I think I've read that the company is ready to build, > they lack customers. It is still a futuristic concept where it is hard to say how much development it is going to take (years or dollars), or how well it will really work. SDI has billions and I don't think they have a laser anywhere near the power at that distance that these guys need. >> "If it takes 15 days to climb, you have a radiation risk. If a >> solar partical event (aka solar flare) happens during this time >> the passengers could be in danger." > > I agree with you. An SE might not be the best method to ship > people - but cargo doesn't care how much radiation it gets. > Perhaps the best method to ship people up is OSP or rotovator, > then a quick shuttle elsewhere. I think the big market over the next 20 years is tourism. So if it is not good for that, I don't think it is much use really. But the SE will be much more expensive than the rotovator, so why even use it for cargo? -- 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