Jp wrote:

That's why you build the elevator out in the ocean. At least then all you get is a tsunami. Umm...

And, technically, the energy expended is the SAME as you expended using a rocket, assuming that they're just as efficient. Except that after a while, you have more stuff coming down then up (Mining the moon! Whee!), and that can provide lift for the up going end.

Sure, but putting a rocket together and getting the fuel is expensive.

Just get criminals and ropes and whips and there you go!

Teh Governator wrote:

I highly doubt the shuttle will become obsolete.

If the space elevator pulls through, I think it will; at least the current model with its emphasis on surface to orbit shuttling.

Especially in the sense that you'd still need it to travel in other parts of the galaxy other than just some orbiting stations or natural satellites (AKA: The moon).

The current space shuttle is not designed for such deep-space flight and would do that job poorly, as it can't even make a lunar round-trip... at least, I don't think it can. If, on the other hand, you mean hauling its external boosters on up into orbit with it so that it gets the benefit of those while already in orbit, then it might be able to do a lot more, such as blasting off to Mars and landing on a runway there.

Though, the shuttle is deeply in need of a new design & such, it won't die nor go away. The shuttle program has proven to be a safe & cost-effective way of transporting humans & cargo to & from Earth. Not to mention their experiments. =P

If you are being technical, as in a craft that carries objects from point A to point B, then of course the shuttle will always be used for deep-space flight, even in the far future when we are cruisin' around in our intergalactic personal vehicles equipped with hyperdrives.

As for the current shuttle, I think it will get scrapped in favor of new vehicles if a space elevator goes up and works as well as planned. We would then need an orbit-to-orbit ship whose job is merely to shift things around between different orbits once taken up on the space elevator, and a deep-space ship that would take off from the top of the elevator to go elsewhere in the solar system.

Eventually, we will probably have at least one space elevator on each object we wish to go frequently (with the exception of the ultralight objects whose gravity is negligible, of course) and will employ only elevator-to-elevator hoppers to get around the system. That would be the most cost-effective means of transportation. Although a space elevator seems like a huge and expensive task, it pays for itself when you consider the cost of blasting off from the surface all the time. Especially when you take into the calculations all the extra traffic space would see once its employment was cheap.

what if some Jack*** Places a firework on one of the cables, the whole thing calapses.

Strawgate wrote:

what if some Jack*** Places a firework on one of the cables, the whole thing calapses.

Do you honestly think that no one would see someone walking up and planting a firework on a massive structure that could be seen on most parts of the world?

I mean, with something so expensive, I'm sure they can't just spend a little bit of cash on 24/7 armed guard protection, CCTV coverage of the entire area, and a whole range of super-advanced kick ass weaponry. =D

A firework would probably not even dent the material. If you set off a fireworks display on top of a foot-thick steel cable, does it break?

Even beyond that, you would either have to walk up to the base of it and attack the cable (which I'm assuming has a tunnel going straight into the elevator crawler itself like in an airport so you can't just walk up to it easily and which also probably has massive security), attack it while in the elevator riding up (they probably won't let you on with anything that would be capable of harming it), or flying up to its mid-section, which is probably your best bet. As for flying up to it, I would hope it has massive anti-air protection, probably from the government. It would be in the government's best interest, as well as everyone elses, to be sure it is protected well, even if that takes an entire aircraft carrier with cruiser and sub support.

Lastly, what if it does break? I'm sure they will have precautions for that. The elevator itself, if having people aboard, would hopefully be equipped with controlled crash-landing equipment like the early space flights. The portion under the break would fall into the sea and be retrieved to be reconnected. The portion above the break would start to shoot out into space. Whether the top portion would have enough momentum to leave Earth or whether it would simple fall into a large orbit, I'm not sure. If it is the former, the top would probably be equipped with rockets to decelerate into orbit. Once it is in orbit, they reposition it.

Well, that's your choice. Although it'd help if you actually explained why.

I'm sure they plan for these things, too. But even if an event doesn't catch much of the cable, I would think any microdamage could be disastrous because of the stresses involved. End even if it manages to avoid direct impact, things like wind could cause tremendous harmonic oscillation. Can you imagine the sway on soemthing like that?

Oh well, I guess that's why they have engineers on it :-)

I can just imagine in the news


*news person* "Brand New F15 Flys into nasa space elevator"

One would hope that a fighter aircraft would have no reason to go near the space elevator. =) Unless it was there for protection, but I don't see them needing patrolling aircraft; bit of a waste of fuel when you can just observe from the ground, use anti-aircraft guns, and scramble your aircraft if necessary.

It's definitely true. The idea has been around for ages, and somebody actually intending to use it is quite likely. Can you imagine the amount of money you would earn by possessing the cheapest option into space so far? Huge capital, but it would be ridiculously profitable.