Brewster Rockit by Tim Rickard for October 14, 2012

  1. Emerald
    margueritem  about 12 years ago

    Oh, that would be torture of the most painful sort.

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    Bilan  about 12 years ago

    Didn’t they say that in space no one can hear Muzak?

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    luckylouie  about 12 years ago

    Does anyone know why it would have to be on a mobile sea base? That’s a new one on me. Everything I’ve read says that it would be anchored on land, at the equator. (Ecuador and Kenya are frequently mentioned as bases.)

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    cloa513  about 12 years ago

    I would have thought the best place would be a high altitude airship (airplatform). Less technical difficulties with creating such a thing and less difficulties with the elevator passing through less atmosphere.

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    frumdebang  about 12 years ago

    Good time to buy stock in carbon nanotubes.

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    McSpook  about 12 years ago

    My hope would be that they would include a bit of retro kitch, like a mouthy young elevator operator who would make continuous annoncements like “576,321st floor, Communications satellites, antique Sputniks, laser weapons platforms and ladies shoes. All out please.”

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    Coyoty Premium Member about 12 years ago

    A space escalator would be more interesting. What do you mean it’s not possible? You’re not buying a stairway to Heaven?

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    pbarnrob  about 12 years ago

    Several authors have used the trope; Sir Arthur of course, Kim Stanley Robinson put one on Mars for his colonists, I’m just now reading a Joe Haldeman (Marsbound , first of a trilogy); his is based on or near the Galapagos, West of Ecuador. Actually, there’s a bunch in fiction.In the Real World, the preliminary engineering work is underway (see Space Elevator Ref. ) and has annual conferences. Strength of materials is now the main limiting factor.The reason for the counterweight is to keep the ‘beanstalk’ taut (ahem, rather than teach it anything)…

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    justalurkr  about 12 years ago

    Beautifully simple explanation of the concept, with one egregious misspelling ( that I caught.)

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    rugeirn  about 12 years ago

    The “Rockiteers” are young people, right? Why is someone as obviously evil as Dr. Mel invited to address such a group? Might as well have Charles Manson come to the local Cub Scout troop.

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    marty1192  about 12 years ago

    Are we there yet? Are we there yet?Are we there yet?Are we there yet?…

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    corzak  about 12 years ago

    They would make it like a Disney ride . . . filled with animatronic birds, flowers and other props, singing and talking. Like the Enchanted Tiki Room at Disneyland.

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    pcolli  about 12 years ago

    “Up, up and away in my beautiful space elevator…”

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    GoodQuestion Premium Member about 12 years ago

    I think audiobooks could fill the void . . say Gilbert Gottfried reading War & Peace to pass the time . . . . ☻

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    ckham  about 12 years ago

    So, my question would be which fire department will come and rescue you if you push the alarm button?

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    SplashPal  about 12 years ago

    The space elevator won’t work as there will be no change in angular momentum as the elevator rises (without side-thrusting rockets) thus it will slow down in the horizontal direction, dragging the counterweight out of orbit and CRASHING – ta ta.

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    stuart  about 12 years ago

    Climbing a space elevator drains the earth’s rotational energy by an infinitesimal amount. The more we use it, the longer a day becomes (making leap seconds more frequent). On that note, the moon is doing something similar, and moving away from the earth.

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    dumbbobsbrother  about 12 years ago

    The horror, the horror.

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    CaptD  about 12 years ago

    Expect the speed of climb to increase as the elevator rises and “weight” has less effect… Imagine a late afternoon “Launch” so you could initially watch the scenery as you climbed into the sky, then a very long amazing sunset before the “curve” of the Earth came into view…

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    CaptD  about 12 years ago

    Salute to Tim Rickard…Hope you will consider a iMac version of your eBook and or a kindle version…

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    CaptD  about 12 years ago

    Nice posting…

    RE: Robinson, he actually wrote a chapter in Liftports Book: Opening Space To Everyone http://is.gd/gHJEPt explaining the reasons that the Mars series is far different from a Lunar elevator!

    RE: Using Geo vs. 60,000 miles:1. The Center of Mass is in the same point with both.2. There are trade offs in having a larger mass (asteroid) at the end of a shorter line vs. a much longer line with a man-made object at the end…

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    CaptD  about 12 years ago

    Please see my reply below…

    I’m sorry we can’t put comments where they belong!

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