Space Elevators The Green Way to Outer Space

Elevator car Bottom pulley Top pulley Cable Normal elevator Construction

Space Elevator base

A moving belt space elevator compared to one with climbers 1. Ten times the cargo throughput 2. Six times the energy efficiency 3. Almost zero net energy for passenger travel

Two SE Design Scenarios 1.Strong tether material – Specific strength more than 50 x 10 6 N-m/kg 2.Weak tether material – Specific strength less than 20 x 10 6 N-m/kg.

Strong tether Design

Weaker cable Design

Transfer pulleys between loops

Elevator car passing over pulleys

Orbital Energy and Angular Momentum Rotational Energy and Angular Momentum GEO Earth Energy considerations in constructing a space elevator

Feeding out cable from the ground

Raising the SE loops with their pulleys

Finished Space Elevator

Feeding out cables for multi-loop SE

Cable feeding details

Tapered SE under construction Reel of cable unwinding over existing tether New addition of cable Constructing a tapered SE GEO Earth

Advantages of a Space Elevator With Moving Cables Lower cost of construction Faster construction Lower cost of operation Much higher throughput Shorter time to space Minimizes radiation exposure No movable base station Easier maintenance

Costs for constructing the first Space Elevator : Materials $300M Rocket launch to GEO $150M Initial seed satellite $100M Base station $100M Labor and overhead $100M Space station skeleton and elevator cars. $150M Additional design and engineering costs.. $50M Total cost $950M

Slinging a load to Mars from the SE Load on the SE at the release point is only 1/40 th g.

Space Elevator Earth Moon L1 Point Zero relative velocity transfer point Lunar Space Elevator Lunar Space Elevator Relationships

The papers with the details of this presentation are available at my website: (In the ABOUT page)