WELCOME

THE SPACE ELEVATOR…..BUILDING OUR FUTURE

PREPARED BY AMIT KUMAR SAH

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

CONTENTS

Introduction Components Extraterrestrial lifts Safety issues Conclusion

INTRODUCTION

A New Space Transportation system being developed that could make travel to geostationary earth orbit a daily event and transform the global economy .

It’s a fiction that could become reality in the near future. Its height may be around 62000 mile ( 100000 km ).

COMPONENTS

Base Station Cables Climbers Powering Climbers

BASE STATION

The base stations are classified in two categories : Stationary and Mobile Base Station.

Mobile stations are typically large oceangoing vessels.

Stationary stations are located on high altitudes such as on the top of mountains or on high towers etc.

CABLES

The cable must be made up of a material with high tensile strength or density ratio.

Carbon nanotube is the most preferred material for making the cables. A special type of carbon nanotube called colossal carbon tube which is strong and light enough may be used for making the cables .

CLIMBERS

These are mainly the robotic lifter which uses the ribbon to move in the space.

Traction tread rollers on the lifter would clamp on to the ribbon and pull the ribbon through, enabling the elevator to climb up the lifter .

POWERING CLIMBER

These are just a source of energy and power for the climber.

The energy can be transferred to the climber through various methods . Transfer the energy to the climber

through wireless energy transfer while it is climbing.

Transfer the energy to the climber through some material structure while it is climbing.

Store the energy in the climber before it starts – requires an extremely high specific energy such as nuclear energy.

Solar power – power compared to the weight of panels limits the speed of climb

EXTRATERRESTRIAL LIFTS

A space elevator could also be constructed on other planets, asteroids and moon.

Could be constructed between two different planets.

ADVANTAGES

Low operations costs - US$250/kg to LEO, GEO, Moon, Mars, Venus or the asteroid belt

No launch vibrations Safe access to space - no explosive

propellants or dangerous launch or re-entry forces

Easily expandable to large systems or multiple systems

Easily implemented at many solar system locations

DISADVANTAGES

A space elevator may cause a navigational hazard both to aircraft and spacecraft

Impacts made by the meteoroids and micrometeorites pose a more difficult problem to the space elevator.

CONCLUSION

The space elevator is a revolutionary Earth-to-space transportation system that will enable space exploration

Design, deployment and operational scenarios for the first space elevator have been put together. Potential challenges have been laid out and solutions developed.

Development of the space elevator requires an investment in materials and engineering but is achievable in the near future with a reasonable investment and development plan.