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I was just going throuh some of the space articles and found about the Concept of Space Elevator. I have seen many fictitious concepts about space but what amazes me about the concept of a Space Elevator is that it is theoratically not only possible but companies are actually working on the concept and NASA seems really interested too.

Anyway this is understandable that it is not something that is going to happen in 10 years but maybe after 50 years you may actually have a trip to space in a Elevator suspended from earth ! . The Concept is pretty simple, if you tie a thread on a side of a rotating ball with a small counterweight on the other side of the thread, due to the centrifugal force produced by the rotating ball, the thread will strat revolving with the ball and will seem as a suspended rope from the surface of the ball.

So if a 62,000-mile (100,000-kilometer) rope is suspended from the earth into space with a couterweigt attached on the other side of the rope, it will start spinning becuase of the centrifugal force of the earth, now if this rope is strong enough an Elevator Car can be attached to to it and can be used for transportation.

However, this rope cannot be directly attached to surface of the earth, but can suspended through a non-stationary plaform like an oil rig in the sea so it has some margin for movement becuase of winds and other hazards. The major hurdle in such a design was the availability of a material string enough for the rope, but now with Carbon Nanotube (discovered in 1991, 100 times stronger than steel and 1/5 in weight, a single thread of Nano Tube can easily support a full Saloon car) the material to build the Elevator is available.

Anyway It's an extraordinary idea indeed


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