[ot] Mars colonization

[Storminator]

<SNIP>

At any rate, the space elevator is only one way to get off the planet. Personally, I think electromagnetics is another promising technology to get us off the ground.

The beauty of the elevator is that it's a low G lift. IF you're just pulling yourself up the cable, you don't need to withstand a dozen Gs to get to space.

More delicate cargo and more delicate people can be put into space.

I guess I need to go look up some EM systems now!

PS

 

[Airwolf]

Btw, I don't know if this has gotten mentioned in the thread, but if you're interested in a quick overview of more exotic technologies that can be used to lift people into orbit, there's a book by Robert L Forward that covers many of them - Indistinguishible from Magic

I just finished that book. I was thinking of going back and pulling a few quotes from it for this thread.

I also know that Aurthur C. Clarke wrote a story about a space elevator. For the life of me I can't remember what its called for sure. It might have been Fountains of Paradise but I am not sure.

Edit: That is the name of the book by Clarke dealing with space elevators.

 

[WayneLigon]

Now all that's needed is a good high-power laser, and I know the US military is working on those... Lasers are cool. And I hear that Defence Secretary Rumsfeld thinks so too.

THEL - Tactical High Energy Laser
http://www.trw.com/presskits/detailinfo/1,,2_12^2^12^23,00.html

 

[tleilaxu]

So I'd like to turn the conversation this direction: If not the space elevator, what is the next best way to achieve earth orbit?

 

[Kilmore]

So I'd like to turn the conversation this direction: If not the space elevator, what is the next best way to achieve earth orbit?

Annoy most anime heroines.

Seriously, right now we're stuck with rockets. But maybe someday, they'll be able to build an electromagnetic mass driver that can launch payloads into orbit. Or perhaps some form of anti-gravity may be developed to lift us up and away. But this is all in the realms of the fantastic future... but slowly being worked on.

In the meantime, all we got is bigger and better rockets.

 

[tleilaxu]

I might have written this earlier... but what if you had a really really really really really big catapult. Would you be able to fling stuff into space?

 

[Dr. Strangemonkey]

Has anyone mentioned the Orion Drive?

Man, that's an idea that I'm certain noone is working on. Was taken pretty seriously before the nuclear test bans though.

 

[Agnostic Paladin]

Aren't mass drivers going to be useless for anything that can't take the massive acceleration? Like people for instance?

 

[Kilmore]

Orion drives are an impetuious idea, and probably would push an object in space at a pretty good clip. But launching them from Earth? Not something I would reccomend. I wouldn't wanna be near the launch site.

 

[Kilmore]

Oh, the basics of the Orion Drive for those who are unfamiliar.

1. Build a massive bowl and stick it to an even more massive shock absorber.

2. Drop a nuke under the bowl.

3. Hang on.