Space elevator question
Space elevator question
For a functioning space elevator would the top of the elevator be in geo-stationary orbit, or would it be the centre of mass?
where once I used to scintillate
now I sin till ten past three
now I sin till ten past three
Re: Space elevator question
The centre of mass would be just above geostationary orbit in order to keep the system under tension.
What I never quite understood is why the elevator would stay straight. At least it is usually depicted as straight, but maybe that is a simplification.
Jaap's Page: https://www.jaapsch.net/
Re: Space elevator question
Isn't that the effect of said tension, to keep it straight?
Re: Space elevator question
It wouldn't stay that straight - there'd be plenty of flex in it (which among other things would allow it to move to avoid satellites and space junk, with some amount of control). But the tension would help keep it straightish.
Re: Space elevator question
That is the intention of course. Powerlines hanging between pylons are also under tension but doesn't mean they are straight. An idealised space elevator with a massless wire and no payloads would be straight, but I just wonder what the effect is of the wire mass, and of perturbations to the system like sending up a payload.
Jaap's Page: https://www.jaapsch.net/
Re: Space elevator question
That one they built in Sri Lanka was built outwards in both directions from the geo-stationary orbit, wasn't it? So they used the other half as a slingshot, which I couldn't get my head around.
Re: Space elevator question
There's something wonderfully perverse about building a highway to space that terminates on an island that's far from the usual shipping routes.
Even better would have been to build it from somewhere like West Papua.
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Re: Space elevator question
If the British had built it they'd have decided at some point to just not bother bringing it all the way down to the ground.
having that swing is a necessary but not sufficient condition for it meaning a thing
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Re: Space elevator question
Thank you, this is all very useful for my plans.
where once I used to scintillate
now I sin till ten past three
now I sin till ten past three