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Space elevator

Diagram of a space elevator. At the bottom of the tall diagram is the Earth as viewed from high above the North Pole. About six earth-radii above the Earth an arc is drawn with the same center as the Earth. The arc depicts the level of geosynchronous orbit. About twice as high as the arc and directly above the Earth's center, a counterweight is depicted by a small square. A line depicting the space elevator's cable connects the counterweight to the equator directly below it. The system's center of mass is described as above the level of geosynchronous orbit. The center of mass is shown roughly to be about a quarter of the way up from the geosynchronous arc to the counterweight. The bottom of the cable is indicated to be anchored at the equator. A climber is depicted by a small rounded square. The climber is shown climbing the cable about one third of the way from the ground to the arc. Another note indicates that the cable rotates along with the Earth's daily rotation, and remains vertical.
A space elevator is conceived as a cable fixed to the equator and reaching into space. A counterweight at the upper end keeps the center of mass well above geostationary orbit level. This produces enough upward centrifugal force from Earth's rotation to fully counter the downward gravity, keeping the cable upright and taut. Climbers carry cargo up and down the cable.
Space elevator in motion rotating with Earth, viewed from above North Pole. A free-flying satellite (green dot) is shown in geostationary orbit slightly behind the cable.

A space elevator, also referred to as a space bridge, star ladder, and orbital lift, is a proposed type of planet-to-space transportation system,[1] often depicted in science fiction. The main component would be a cable (also called a tether) anchored to the surface and extending into space. An Earth-based space elevator would consist of a cable with one end attached to the surface near the equator and the other end attached to a counterweight in space beyond geostationary orbit (35,786 km altitude). The competing forces of gravity, which is stronger at the lower end, and the upward centrifugal force, which is stronger at the upper end, would result in the cable being held up, under tension, and stationary over a single position on Earth. With the tether deployed, climbers (crawlers) could repeatedly climb up and down the tether by mechanical means, releasing their cargo to and from orbit.[2] The design would permit vehicles to travel directly between a planetary surface, such as the Earth's, and orbit, without the use of large rockets.

The concept of a tower reaching geosynchronous orbit was first published in 1895 by Konstantin Tsiolkovsky.[3] His proposal was for a free-standing tower reaching from the surface of Earth to the height of geostationary orbit. Like all buildings, Tsiolkovsky's structure would be under compression, supporting its weight from below. However, an Earth-based space elevator cannot be constructed purely as a tall tower in compression due to its immense weight.

Since 1959, most ideas for space elevators have focused on purely tensile structures, with the weight of the system held up from above by centrifugal forces. In the tensile concepts, a space tether reaches from a large mass (the counterweight) beyond geostationary orbit to the ground. This structure is held in tension between Earth and the counterweight like an upside-down plumb bob. The cable thickness is tapered based on tension; it has its maximum at a geostationary orbit and the minimum on the ground.

The concept is applicable to other planets and celestial bodies. For locations in the Solar System with weaker gravity than Earth's (such as the Moon or Mars), the strength-to-density requirements for tether materials are not as problematic. Currently available materials (such as Kevlar) are strong and light enough that they could be practical as the tether material for elevators there.[4]

  1. ^ "What is a Space Elevator?". The International Space Elevator Consortium. 2014. Retrieved August 22, 2020.
  2. ^ Edwards, Bradley Carl. The NIAC Space Elevator Program (Report). NASA Institute for Advanced Concepts. Archived from the original on May 12, 2008. Retrieved November 24, 2007.{{cite report}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  3. ^ Hirschfeld, Bob (January 31, 2002). "Space Elevator Gets Lift". TechTV. Archived from the original on June 8, 2005. Retrieved September 13, 2007. The concept was first described in 1895 by Russian author K. E. Tsiolkovsky in his 'Speculations about Earth and Sky and on Vesta.'
  4. ^ Moravec, Hans (1978). Non-Synchronous Orbital Skyhooks for the Moon and Mars with Conventional Materials. Carnegie Mellon University. frc.ri.cmu.edu.

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