D4.3. Technology Assessment and Space Elevators Components The recently completed IAA study,  looked at engineering, operational, and funding steps towards an operational capability. This session will evaluate the current and near-term potential of the necessary technologies. They will be evaluated with respect to the NASA TRL’s and identify risks associated…. Read more“IAC2015 will have a Space Elevator Track”

I started this blog in April of 2006.  At that time, blogging was still fairly new and pretty much state-of-the-art in terms of private individuals being able to opine about a topic on the Internet. But time marches on and blogging has now taken a “side-seat” (I won’t say “back-seat”)… Read more“The Space Elevator Blog and Social Media”

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Stem cells that were claimed to be created simply by exposing ordinary cells to stress were probably derived from embryonic stem cells, according to the latest investigation into an ongoing scientific scandal. How that contamination occurred, however, remains an open question. The investigation was instigated by RIKEN, the Japanese research institution where… Read more“Contamination created controversial ‘acid-induced’ stem cells”

A couple of weeks ago, I blogged about a new NASA video showing the relative locations and orbits of the space debris they are tracking.  The assumption here is (and I think it’s correct) is that all this space debris is man-made.  Anything natural approaching from the cosmos is either… Read more“Meteorites and the Space Elevator”

Just a reminder that this is the last week for the 2015 ISEC membership drive! ISEC is holding its second annual Membership drive. A one-year Professional level membership, new or renewal, can be purchased for just $58 (regular price is $68) while a one-year Student level membership, new or renewal,… Read more“Last week for ISEC Membership drive!”

Each year, the Japan Space Elevator Association (JSEA)holds a Climber competition acronymed SPEC (SPace Elevator Challenge) and each year they get more and more ambitious in their goals.  This year they had a 1,200 m long tether held up by balloons.  Climbers are powered by batteries and scores are awarded… Read more“SPEC2014”

The baseline design for an earth-based space elevator calls for a tether that is 100,000 km long.  Just 40 kilometers (four one-hundredths of a percent (.0004)) of that length is within the commonly defined boundaries of the earth’s atmosphere.  And yet this tiny fraction of length is “home” to many… Read more“The first 40 kilometers…”

This Weekend Walkabout continues to catch up on some things I didn’t blog about while I was taking my holiday break. We start off by hypothetically shooting things into the sun, then learn about the latest success from the Indian space program and wind up in Canada – learning about… Read more“Weekend Walkabout – From shooting things into the sun to India to Canada…”

Yes, I said that my next post was going to be on tether capacities and power systems, but that can wait – a new space-elevator themed book is available! Celestial Phoenix is written by new (I think) author A. P. Williams and is available on Kindle at Amazon. Be warned… Read more“Book Review – Celestial Phoenix”