SpaceElevatorApplications

Title: Applications
	About: Moderator: Brad Edwards Created: July 6, 2008 Modified: July 25, 2008	Tags: This is a collaborative article Discipline(s): Wiki, Engineering

 

Applications

Justification for construction of the space elevator is critical - to reason to build it and it won't be built. To this end, well defined applications are absolutely critical.

Application	Status
Solar Power Satellites	Air Force write up, NASA report, JAXA Report, ESA Report, NAS Report, Kellum report
Lunar Base	File:SE Lunar Program 1.odt, File:SE Lunar.odt
Mars Elevator / Base	File:Martian Elevator.odt, File:Mars cable.dxf,
Asteroid Elevator	File:Asteroid Elevator.odt
Geostation	Write-up of concept File:Inflatable Geodesic Sphere.odt, 3d model File:GeoStation.wrl,
Tourism	File:ASCENTFinalReport V1.pdf, File:ASCENTFinalReport V2.pdf Futron reports
Military	File:SE military White Paper.odt
Spin-off technology	SpinOffTechnology

Status

The climber has the most engineering work that needs to be done and the most opportunity for individuals and groups to get directly involved.

Work Needed

Item	Notes	Completed and Ongoing Efforts
Full review and independent assessment of lunar base proposal	Viability, issues, business or other rational for doing this.	File:SE Lunar Program 1.odt, File:SE Lunar.odt Lunar base proposal by Edwards et.al.
Full review of Solar Power Satellite concept	Realistically do we need SSP? If so review and evaluate Kellum's work. Categorize potential sponsors for such a system - Japan, British Petroleum,..., also is manned presence required if so evaluate geostation viability	SSP economics by Kellum General SSP concept by ESA General SSP concept by NASA General SSP concept by the Japanese
Evaluate tourism potential	Based on current space tourism studies, what is the best business case for tourism with the space elevator - 8 hour trips to LEO, 24 hour trips to LEO, 3 week trips to a GEO station,...?
Evaluate long-term economic impact of a space elevator for investor/owner	How rich do owners become in various scenarios, how would an elevator affect the builder's economy (U.S., Japan, Germany, Korea, Luxembourg, Saudi Arabia, ...)

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