[extropy-chat] Re: sole superpower/warfare 2003-2010 comments

[Alfio Puglisi]

On Sat, 13 Dec 2003, Robert J. Bradbury wrote:

>However I'm not sure that would be enough to function as a source
>of lift for the amount of mass that would be required.  We need some
>harder numbers here in terms of the minimal mass for a cable that
>could withstand normal forces (gravity, wind, etc.) and allow
>micro-elevators to climb up and down the cable.  Also some figures
>on the lift efficiencies of laser propulsion (it has to be really
>low).  One problem is that I think most lasers systems are currently
>designed to deliver heat (melt the incomings, fuse the pellets, etc.).
>One would need a shift in design strategies if one wants to use them
>for non-destructive propulsion purposes.

Is this report outdated? (warning, 16MB)

http://www.arcetri.astro.it/~puglisi/report/SpaceElevator.pdf

(Temporary location. I can't find the pdf version online anymore)

Ciao,
Alfio