A space elevator is a physical connection from the surface of the Earth, or another planetary body such as Mars, to a geostationary Earth orbit (GEO - In the case of Earth) above the Earth at roughly 35,786 km in altitude. Its center of mass is at the geostationary point such that it has a 24-hr orbit and stays over the same point above the equator as the Earth rotates on its axis.
It is hoped that someday a space elevator would be utilized as a transportation and utility system for moving people, payloads, power, and gases between the surface of the Earth and space. It makes the physical connection from Earth to space in the same way a bridge connects two cities across a body of water. (Source: NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Advanced Space Infrastructure Workshop on Geostationary Orbiting Tether �Space Elevator� Concepts, slightly modified)
September 17, 2003
SPACE Elevator: High Hopes, Lofty Goals
Leonard David of Space.com was at the 2nd annual conferece and filed this report.
Geek.com also has a report by J. Eric Smith titled "Scientists gather to engineer space elevator."
September 15, 2003
Conference Notes by Blaise Gassend
Blaise Gassend a speaker at the 2nd Space Elevator Conference has posted his notes on the conference. His notes cover the first 2 days of the conference.
WIRED: Critics Jump on Space Elevator
Steve Kettmann of wired has an article on the ongoing conference. It's a balanced piece albeit short.
September 13, 2003
Space Elevator Conference Reports
With the conference underway we expect to get a report online by next Tuesday. In the meantime the Guardian has a special space exploration series with an article on space elevators.
Update. Monday Sep. 15: Jeff Foust published an article today titled "The space elevator: going up?"
September 10, 2003
Two Days to the Conference, Arthur Clarke Set to Speak
The 2nd Space Elevator Conference officially begins Saturday but Friday evening attendees can get together at the opening reception to network.
The conference will open up with a special address by Sir Arthur C. Clarke.
Conference organizer Bryan E. Laubscher of the Los Alamos Space Instrumentation and System Engineering Group said, "With the discovery of carbon nanotubes and their remarkable strength properties, the time for the space elevator is at hand. The promise of inexpensive access to space is so important to the human race that we are ready to meet these challenges head on. Viewed in one way, the space elevator will be the largest civil engineering project ever attempted."
August 14, 2003
Great Start, New Documents and Mailing List Added
A "Books, Documents and References" section has been added with 7 new documents including Bradley Edwards "The Space Elevator" Phase II final report (PDF - 2.8 MB) which was released earlier this year by the NASA Institute for Advanced Concepts .
We've also setup a moderated mailing list for you to exhange ideas and for us to keep you informed of any news as warranted.
If the excellent traffic in our first few days of existence are any indication of the interest in Space Elevator's, this reference site looks to be popular. We've had some excellent feebback and we encourage you to comment on any story we've posted or suggest a story.
August 12, 2003
The Space Elevator: 'Thought Experiment', or Key to the Universe? By Arthur C. Clarke
On September 20, 1979, Sir Arthur C. Clarke in an address to the 30th International Astronautical Congress in Munich gave the following talk "The Space Elevator: 'Thought Experiment', or Key to the Universe?".
To this day it is one of the seminal talks on the issue and has stimulated research to the point now that companies are now developing the technology to make the first space elevator a reality. For your pleasure and education we offer the talk in its entirety here with permission from Sir Arthur.
August 11, 2003
The Space Elevator 2nd Annual International Conference
The 2nd Space Elevator conference will be held September 12-15 in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The conference is being organised by The Los Alamos National Laboratory and The Institute for Scientific Research, Inc.
The purpose of the workshop is to bring together individuals and institutions interested in solving the scientific and engineering challenges inherent in constructing the world's first space elevator.
Plenary speakers will provide a historical perspective of the space elevator and its promise for future space activity. Facilitators will outline each area of technical challenge and discussion of solutions will be encouraged through audience participation.
The Space Elevator
They say the first 100 kilometres are the best. Moments after the door slides shut with a reassuring "ker-chunk", the acceleration takes hold, pushing you gently but firmly into your seat. Terra firma drops precipitously from view, and your internal organs groan in sympathy. The base tower seems endless as it slides past the window. Then you're in open sky, at first a seemingly infinite expanse of blue, but gradually darkening until the Milky Way appears in all its glory. And throughout, the shimmering blue pool that is the Earth curves away beneath you, a sight that was once the preserve of a privileged few.
Continue reading "The Space Elevator"