SpaceElevator
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Our Basic Premises
Next Steps
Book Revision work
Content
CAD models
We need 3-D models in free formats usable by apps like this: http://sketchup.google.com/
(I suspect there is a free app to make models in that is better than sketchup, but with free formats, we don't care.)
We could build all the basic parts as a 3-D model, then get people improving on all of them in parallel. What really does a climber need to look like?
Here is a list of people who will build models for sketchup. http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/cldetails?mid=c9bd5e6d5b511d0e6c58fbbbefee0599
A few space elevator models: http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/search?q=space+elevator&btnG=Search&styp=m&reps=1
This task is initially an archaeological expedition. Brad finds 3-D models he knows about and puts them up here. (I will go through the sketchup warehouse and create links to any that are cool.)
Particle simulations
Codebase_Analysis#Physics_Engines
Imagine you built a simulator so that when you added weight to the climber, the ribbon dimensions got bigger. If a spreadsheet created calculations that boiled down to simple algebraic formulas, those could be put into a video game.If someone improves the spreadsheet, they can swap in a different algebraic constant.
There is also Finite Element Analysis software: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_finite_element_software_packages
Other Software
NASA's free code: http://opensource.arc.nasa.gov/
