Orbital and suborbital in tandem

First jasohill has been speaking theoretically - there isn't any platform at geostationary altitude yet and there is nobody yet to install it privately.

Second I wasn't speaking of an elevator but of a modification of an idea that is content of a NIAC study NOT CONCERNING the eleavtor.

Dipl.-Volkswirt (bdvb) Augustin (Political Economist)

I know, but I was merely saying that the technologies required to build such a thing are comparable to those needed to build an elevator, which is probably a better alternative-launch method anyway.

Sorry, I just have lots of problems with the concept of space tethers for human spaceflight. There are many failings to the idea - although, this thread is probably not the best place for that discussion.

I'm just trying to overcoming that 'space is hard to get to reality' that currently exists.
I'm thinking the solution is so easy that it cannot be seen by brilliant physicists and engineers. Either that, or it's not. But there is only one way to find out, and that is to consider even the most crazy of ideas...

Hello, Sev,

in one of the threads concerning the space elevator Herman Desmedt and/or Mark Rejhon explained that - for example - nanocarbontubes required only for a space elevator on earth.

The platform jasohill proposed isn't earth and the suborbital spacecraft can be catched from a close distance - this removes several requirements according to the both I referred to above. This is valid also for a spacecraft launching from the platform to catch the suborbital spacecraft.

The proposed elevator prize will cause the development of tethers as strong and fit to high tense as possible. The tethers produced to win the prize will be of a length much to short for a space elevator - but they may be long enough to be used for catching a payload or a suborbital spacecraft. Perhaps it might be worth a proposal to the proposers.

As I reported in another thread scientists have achieved a success in producing nanocarbontubes recently. They seem to have found a method to pull a nanocarbontube-cable as long as they want.

jsaohill - perhaps some scientists and engineers are already on that only one way to find out...



Dipl.-Volkswirt (bdvb) Augustin (Political Economist)