Project Orion Ground Launch.

[cato]

The only factor missing in order for a space elevator to be built is the carbon nanofibre technology, which is a reasonably safe bet to be developed in the next ten years.

I think you are mistaken. First, there is no way our carbon nanotube tech will be good enough to do that in ten years. Second, "only factor" I thought it had to be harnessed to an asteroid? Wouldn’t you need to somehow get an asteroid into orbit? Last I checked that would be a tall order for NASA, especially a large one.

p.s. how big of an asteroid would it need to be anchored to? (Just curious)

 

[geodesic]

In my original post, an asteroid would be needed. However, if you see the proposal I linked to earlier, the space elevator could be conterbalanced by the craft deploying the elevator.

there is no way our carbon nanotube tech will be good enough to do that in ten years

Corrction: which is a reasonably safe bet to be developed in the next ten years, in my opinion.
In other words, I'm making a prediction based on the fact that:
a) There's a lot of carbon nanotube research going on
b) It's a topic with applications (other than space elevators), therefore it will receive greater funding.

 

[weed_eater_guy]

everything breaks, no matter how meticulously you build that carbon-nanotube cable, something will go wrong. where as when a rocket goes wrong, it plumets back into earth, and we try again. to try again after a 36,000 km long cable has collapsed onto earth's surface would be one hell of an economic struggle to just "try again". space elevators are not the way to go, rockets are. but I don't think using radioactive nuclear fuel is the wisest of moves, something better is bound come around within the next few decades.

 

[TruthSeeker]

http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/13763/story.htm

"The grapes planted near the Olkiluoto power station on the country's west coast are a resilient species that can withstand temperatures of minus 40 degrees Celsius (minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit)."

What a reliable site....

 

[cato]

lol, thats funny seeker.

I don’t think we will be able to make carbon nanotubes strong/long enough to make any major structures out of in the next 15-25 years. yes we will probably see nano tubes in industrial uses in the next 10, but to build a carbon nanotube chain/cable all the way out to geo-sync orbit would be a lot harder. I don’t think we will ever see a nanotube space elevator, by the time we are good enough at making nanotubes we would probably already have found a better way. (probably antimatter)

 

[phlogistician]

"The grapes planted near the Olkiluoto power station on the country's west coast are a resilient species that can withstand temperatures of minus 40 degrees Celsius (minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit)."

What a reliable site....

What's up with that? -40F is the same as -40C.

 

[TruthSeeker]

What's up with that? -40F is the same as -40C.

Oh! Ok... I didn't know that. That's a pretty strange coincidence. Celcius and Fahrenheit are so different....

 

[TruthSeeker]

lol, thats funny seeker.

I don’t think we will be able to make carbon nanotubes strong/long enough to make any major structures out of in the next 15-25 years. yes we will probably see nano tubes in industrial uses in the next 10, but to build a carbon nanotube chain/cable all the way out to geo-sync orbit would be a lot harder. I don’t think we will ever see a nanotube space elevator, by the time we are good enough at making nanotubes we would probably already have found a better way. (probably antimatter)

Hurray!


Anyways.... I need holidays......

 

[cato]

ohh, wow, you are right. -40c=-40f. regardless, a space elevator will be no easy task.

 

[phlogistician]

Oh! Ok... I didn't know that. That's a pretty strange coincidence. Celcius and Fahrenheit are so different....

Different, yes, but both are straight line graphs at different gradients, so will intersect somewhere. That point is at a rather useless for comparison, -40degrees!

 

[geodesic]

Cato:
How would antimatter be better, and in what way were you planning to manufacture enough of it?

 

[TruthSeeker]

Different, yes, but both are straight line graphs at different gradients, so will intersect somewhere. That point is at a rather useless for comparison, -40degrees!

Well... thank you for the information anyways...

 

[ProjectOrion]

phlogistician,

What have those factoids got to do with detonating nukes at ground level, and up, throughout the atmosphere, and the associated risks of detonating nukes behind a stockpile of nukes?

Nothing.

No system is perfect. All systems fail. How are you going to ensure that this system 'fails safe' every time?

It won't. But it only needs to succeed once down here. The developmental work won't go to waste because it will simply be applied in space for further Orions. There is no such thing as zero risk. The important thing is to ensure that the risk versus gain is worthy of the investment and we minimise the effects of a worst case scenario if it does happen.

Q,

The water is not released onto the the vineyard.

http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/13763/story.htm

I'm sorry. It flows through plastic pipes. My bad. Vine growing is not one of my discussion strong points. If I had been more interested I would have read further.

Once again, and as always, you allow your imagination to rule.

So you've found one factual error related to farming and are seizing upon it as irrefutable proof that everything else I say must therefore be fallacy. That's almost as desperate as the name calling you're employing. But yes, I do like to use my imagination and I won't apologise for that.

Geodesic,

Did you miss the site I posted? The only factor missing in order for a space elevator to be built is the carbon nanofibre technology, which is a reasonably safe bet to be developed in the next ten years.

They said the same thing about fusion 50 years ago. For the moon and possibly even Mars it might be a possibility some day but Earths gravity well makes space elevators a ridiculous notion.

 

[phlogistician]

'risk versus gain' of detonating nuclear weapons near a stockpile of nuclear weapons at ground level, ..... when every single part is made by the lowest bidding contractor, and administered by a committee.

There are far more promising technologies, with lower risk.

 

[weed_eater_guy]

how about He3-He3 fusion? supposed to not make any radiation but I don't know if we can make enough Helium-3 or if it's explosiveness is practically powerful.

 

[ProjectOrion]

Phlog,

'risk versus gain' of detonating nuclear weapons near a stockpile of nuclear weapons at ground level, ..... when every single part is made by the lowest bidding contractor, and administered by a committee.

I disagree. The risk is negligible and the potential rewards far from insignificant. There are no viable alternatives currently available with such a promising risk vs gain ratio.

weedeater,

how about He3-He3 fusion?

Pipedream.

 

[TruthSeeker]

He3 fusion a "pipedream"?
Well.... at least it is better then nuclear waste falling from the sky....

 

[geodesic]

ProjectOrion:
You've dismissed two alternative suggestions to your proposed method, with no greater reasoning than "The technology is not there yet". Tell me, exactly how much research has gone into your proposed launch technology? Do you have any project proposals similar to the one I posted? And why don't you remind us of the number of nuclear test launches?

 

[phlogistician]

The risk is negligible

Shows how little you know about rocketry! There are plenty of things that could go wrong, be it O-Ring seals, insulation, or software. Just hand waving over the detail doesn't make your case any more plausible. Quite the opposite, it makes it look like exactly what it is, an ill thought out pipe dream!

 

[(Q)]

Vine growing is not one of my discussion strong points.

Neither are a great many other topics, yet that does not stop you from obsessive opining.