What kind of cable does the space elevator need?

The space elevator is planned to be built by the year 2050 with a capacity to carry 100-ton climbers. It is composed of a 96,000-km carbon nanotube cable, a 400-m diameter floating Earth Port and a 12,500-ton counter-weight.

How long does a space elevator cable need to be?

A space elevator would need to be 36,000 Kilometers long. The initial seed cable would have a mass of 20,000kg. So if the material for the initial cable cost no more than the current cost of carbon nanotubes the raw materials would cost $2 million.

How would you construct a space elevator?

There are two approaches to constructing a space elevator. Either the cable is manufactured in space or it is launched into space and gradually reinforced by additional cables, transported by climbers into space. Manufacturing the cable in space could be done in principle by using an asteroid or Near-Earth object.

What are the four components of a space elevator?

There are four basic elements of a space elevator.

The base station and anchor.
The counterweight and orbital space station.
The tether (the cable that connects the surface to space).
The climber (the elevator carriage).

Is a space tether possible?

Researchers are still looking into what materials would make the best space tethers. In fact, one possibility is based on fishing line! The tether will have to be able to resist the corrosion caused by atomic oxygen in the upper reaches of Earth’s atmosphere, as well as damage from micrometeoroids.

How does a space elevator work?

A space elevator is a proposed transportation system connecting the Earth’s surface to space. The elevator would allow vehicles to travel to orbit or space without the use of rockets. Gravity would pull downward on the cable, while centrifugal force from the orbiting counterweight would pull upward.

Are carbon nanotubes strong enough for a space elevator?

A natural choice for constructing a space elevator cable are carbon pipes only nanometers or billionths of a meter wide. Previous research has found that such carbon nanotubes can prove 100 times stronger than steel at one-sixth the weight.

What would a space elevator be made of?

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 in space beyond geostationary orbit (35,786 km altitude).

How much would it cost to build a space elevator?

A space elevator built according to the Edwards proposal is estimated to cost $6 billion.

What is a space elevator?

Space elevator. The main component would be a cable (also called a tether) anchored to the surface and extending into space. The design would permit vehicles to travel along the cable from a planetary surface, such as the Earth’s, directly into space or orbit, without the use of large rockets.

What are the cable requirements for a space elevator?

The cable would need to be made of a material with a high tensile strength/density ratio. For example, the Edwards space elevator design assumes a cable material with a tensile strength of at least 100 gigapascals.

How does an Earth space elevator cable work?

An Earth space elevator cable rotates along with the rotation of the Earth. Therefore, the cable, and objects attached to it, would experience upward centrifugal force in the direction opposing the downward gravitational force.

What is the tension on a space elevator cable?

The greatest tension on a space elevator cable is at the point of geostationary orbit, 35,786 km (22,236 mi) above the Earth’s equator. This means that the cable material, combined with its design, must be strong enough to hold up its own weight from the surface up to 35,786 km (22,236 mi).