3 ms·
Isnt rope the real challenge (in term of physics) of the Space Elevator ?
by pjerem 5y ago
Isnt rope the real challenge (in term of physics) of the Space Elevator ?
- sova 5y agoYeah, that's definitely the main issue. A winner of a competition used lasers to heat the solar cells on a robot causing it to climb a ribbon. https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn18122-space-elevator-wins-900000-nasa-prize/ https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn18122-space-elevator-... But as you astutely mention, how do we construct such a ribbon? ... Great question.
- failwhaleshark 5y agoSingle-crystal graphene is the leading candidate material. I guess we just need a continuous graphene-making builder robot. If it were me, I would arrange a dozen or so ribbons in a circular configuration for redundancy with a platform climber made mostly from carbon fiber and covered in multilayer insulation.