2 ms·
Oh no, I scrolled all that way and didn't even reach some destination! Where does this space elevator go? No one knows! Would have been bit more satisfying if i
by CaptainOfCoit 1y ago
Oh no, I scrolled all that way and didn't even reach some destination! Where does this space elevator go? No one knows! Would have been bit more satisfying if it ended up at a space station or something, as I think that's the purpose of the space elevator idea in the first place :)
- matheusmoreira 1y agoI think it could but does not necessarily have to reach a station. The elevator just has to clear the atmosphere, right? As they say: once you're in orbit, you're halfway to anywhere.
- CaptainOfCoit 1y ago> just clear the atmosphere But for what purpose? You just want to float around in a elevator carriage, aren't you going somewhere when you go with a space elevator?
- matheusmoreira 1y agoPresumably the elevator would lift cargo, fuel, maybe even the actual rocket into orbit where maneuvering is easier. Once it's in space and in orbit, substantially less fuel is required maneuver.
- CaptainOfCoit 1y agoI think you might be talking about something else than a "space elevator"? A space elevator would just go up and down as far as I understand, not horizontally, and if you wanna end up in orbit, you need horizontal movement, not vertical.
- rkomorn 1y agoIf it's not horizontal enough, just wait up to 6 hours...
- matheusmoreira 1y agoAccording to this comment: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45646741 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45646741 Ascending the elevator will produce 0.002g of horizontal acceleration throughout the trip.
- mrec 1y agoThere's a big difference between "clear of the atmosphere" or "100km up" and "in orbit". Orbit is more about velocity than altitude.