[extropy-chat] Re: Space Elevators

[Jay Dugger]

On 8/3/05, Damien Broderick <thespike at satx.rr.com> wrote:
> At 11:30 AM 8/3/2005 -0500, Jay wrote:
> 
> >As I remember, the latest problem with a SE was vibration, harmonics,
> >and damping. Damien Broderick gave some attention to this during the
> >conferences. Any comments, D.B.?
> 
> I'm fairly clueless when it comes to the fine grain detail. All I recall is
> the suggestion by Clarke and others that the cable might be able to avoid
> satellites by harmonic twanging. I believe Spike had objections to this.
> 
> But the problem I have simply conceptualising this thing is that I still
> don't understand *how* the cable is lowered. My intuition tells me that if
> you simply extrude it toward the ground, it's going to rise slowly and
> majestically to the same height above ground as the station -- that is,
> back into geosynchronous orbit -- where it will hang in a nice curve up
> ahead of the station, while the ballast end will curve downward to hang
> behind it like a tail. Don't tell me gravity will keep the cable straight
> -- every part of the thing has the same GEO velocity it started with. Or am
> I missing something extremely obvious?
> 

I'd have to re-read Chapter 5 of E&W to answer this. I really had
other things planned for vacation!

-- 
Jay Dugger
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