Patent filed fo 20km space launch tower

Greebo

Greebo

Greebo

Caporegime
Joined
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Co Durham
Heard the creator been interviewed on the radio yesterday.

http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1726947-a-canadian-company-patented-a-12-mile-tall-space-tower/

20km inflatable tower which will have viewing platforms and a restaurant on top as well as a runway to launch spaceships from.

Viewing distance will be 1,000km for tourists with a capacity to handle 1000 visitors per day.

Much cheaper for satellite launches etc

Massive gains for communications as each tower in each country can supply mega fast broadband to the whole country and 4k tv pics etc.

Made me wonder just how practical this would be. The science was above my head with it been an inflatable tower full of gas 20km high which bends in the hurricane winds to keep its centre of mavity above its 300m wide base.

Is this actually possible to build? Or is the guy on cloud cuckoo land?
 
Space elevators are theoretically possible and have long been discussed, buy you need to build them out of a material lighter and stronger than anything that exists at the moment. What freaks my nut out about them is that you don't actually need to secure them to the ground.
 
scorza said:
Space elevators are theoretically possible and have long been discussed, buy you need to build them out of a material lighter and stronger than anything that exists at the moment. What freaks my nut out about them is that you don't actually need to secure them to the ground.
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This is where all the recent advancements in the development of CNTs will pay dividends in the future.
 
I don't feel like the patent was overly necessary, I mean is there a real risk of anyone else trying to steal that idea?
 
The project needn’t be funded by a national government. Quine said it could be a profitable venture for private companies that could turn the space tower into a space-themed resort featuring restaurant and hotels, reported CNN.
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The place where deafening and dangerous rockets are launched? Fun for the all family!

Stupid idea.
 
how do you launch a rocket from an inflatable structure? As soon as they ignite the engines its gonna get very messy.
 
Dumbest idea ever! :rolleyes:

How would you get the space ship to the top for launch ?

How long would it take to reach the top at even 9 miles?

How would you get oxygen up there?

How deep would the footings be?

How would it cope with extreme weather conditions?

It just wouldn't work. :D
 
scorza said:
Space elevators are theoretically possible and have long been discussed, buy you need to build them out of a material lighter and stronger than anything that exists at the moment. What freaks my nut out about them is that you don't actually need to secure them to the ground.
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Just imagine the planning permission problems or an attack 100km long thick cable falling across the face of the earth
 
scorza said:
Space elevators are theoretically possible and have long been discussed, buy you need to build them out of a material lighter and stronger than anything that exists at the moment. What freaks my nut out about them is that you don't actually need to secure them to the ground.
Click to expand...

I have always felt that if we had the capability to build a space elevator we wouldn't need one!

I recall reading that to build a space elevator using a standard steel cable would need a cable that tapered from nothing at the earths surface to something getting on for the diameter of the solar system once you got to geostationary orbit!:eek:

I don't know if this is actually correct, but it does give an idea of the scale of the materials problem!
 
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