Comments on: Silver threads in space http://blogs.earthsky.org/larrysessions/space/051011/silver-threads-in-space/ Clouds and cosmos: the atmosphere and beyond! Sun, 20 Jul 2008 04:23:10 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Larry Sessions http://blogs.earthsky.org/larrysessions/space/051011/silver-threads-in-space/#comment-2137 Larry Sessions Mon, 30 Jul 2007 13:45:38 +0000 http://blogs.earthsky.org/larrysessions/space/051011/silver-threads-in-space/#comment-2137 Ron, I am no expert in this, but I think it is highly likely that a technique will be developed to remove the charges or else a material developed to prevent the build up in the first place. I do not think this is a problem that will kill any future development. You might find it interesting to read Arthur C. Clarke's "Fountains of Paradise," and to check out this website: http://www.elevator2010.org/ LS Ron,

I am no expert in this, but I think it is highly likely that a technique will be developed to remove the charges or else a material developed to prevent the build up in the first place. I do not think this is a problem that will kill any future development. You might find it interesting to read Arthur C. Clarke’s “Fountains of Paradise,” and to check out this website:
http://www.elevator2010.org/

LS

]]> By: Ron http://blogs.earthsky.org/larrysessions/space/051011/silver-threads-in-space/#comment-2106 Ron Sat, 28 Jul 2007 22:50:42 +0000 http://blogs.earthsky.org/larrysessions/space/051011/silver-threads-in-space/#comment-2106 I wanted to know if they build the Space Elevator. Wiuld'nt the Space Elevator have the same problem that the NASA space tether experiment in 1996. Cable melted due to built up static charge. Wiuld'nt the Space Elevator tether melt from the Static charge to! I wanted to know if they build the Space Elevator.
Wiuld’nt the Space Elevator have the same problem that the NASA space tether experiment in 1996.

Cable melted due to built up static charge.
Wiuld’nt the Space Elevator tether melt from the Static charge to!

]]> By: sam http://blogs.earthsky.org/larrysessions/space/051011/silver-threads-in-space/#comment-36 sam Sat, 12 May 2007 13:26:15 +0000 http://blogs.earthsky.org/larrysessions/space/051011/silver-threads-in-space/#comment-36 this kind of reminds me of the nasa space tether experiment in 1996. where the cable melted due to built up static charge i believe it was or something similar.so i guess transmission of electricity would require something like microwave energy. but the idea of dropping packages by wire sounds interesting. this kind of reminds me of the nasa space tether experiment in 1996. where the cable melted due to built up static charge i believe it was or something similar.so i guess transmission of electricity would require something like microwave energy. but the idea of dropping packages by wire sounds interesting.

]]> By: deborahbyrd http://blogs.earthsky.org/larrysessions/space/051011/silver-threads-in-space/#comment-35 deborahbyrd Fri, 11 May 2007 20:43:08 +0000 http://blogs.earthsky.org/larrysessions/space/051011/silver-threads-in-space/#comment-35 Excuse me ... my other self is talking to me ... Okay! So! Larry, it seems we agree on ground-based power lines. I've often wished they could bury them, although I realize that would be much more costly. Still, I wish I could walk down my street and not have to look up at the sky through a maze of wires. But wires extending up into space? Sorry. These schemes always sound kinda cool ... but then you realize it's not just <i>one</i> wire but thousands - hundreds of thousands? - of wires from the ground to Earth-orbit needed to make any of these ideas useful. I'm a believer is technological progress and all. But that just sounds nutty to me. How would they keep them from running into each other? Would they have to be really spaced out from one another? I wish we could figure out some other way to do these things, something that doesn't impose upon our view of the sky. Excuse me … my other self is talking to me …

Okay! So! Larry, it seems we agree on ground-based power lines. I’ve often wished they could bury them, although I realize that would be much more costly. Still, I wish I could walk down my street and not have to look up at the sky through a maze of wires.

But wires extending up into space? Sorry. These schemes always sound kinda cool … but then you realize it’s not just one wire but thousands - hundreds of thousands? - of wires from the ground to Earth-orbit needed to make any of these ideas useful. I’m a believer is technological progress and all. But that just sounds nutty to me. How would they keep them from running into each other? Would they have to be really spaced out from one another?

I wish we could figure out some other way to do these things, something that doesn’t impose upon our view of the sky.

]]> By: Larry Sessions http://blogs.earthsky.org/larrysessions/space/051011/silver-threads-in-space/#comment-34 Larry Sessions Fri, 11 May 2007 06:51:59 +0000 http://blogs.earthsky.org/larrysessions/space/051011/silver-threads-in-space/#comment-34 OK, you're crazy. [Sorry, I just had to do that.] I dislike all the power lines and such, too. But the bottom line is that this is part of modern life. We need power for things and wires are the way to go. As far as transmitting energy in some way other than wires, of course lots of folks have considered beaming it. This includes Nikolai Tesla more than 100 years ago. That would get rid of the wire, but would seem to be impractical (even assuming the technology existed to do it effectively). And can you imagine accidentally walking into the beam of a high-power microwave transmission? Whew, boy! Talk about frying your brain! No, I don't like the wires and I do have concerns about all the RF stuff around today. With all the cell phones, radio transmitters, certain remote controls and so on, it makes you wonder. Sure, it's all extremely low energy, but still I wonder if there may not be some longterm effects (but that's a story for another day). L OK, you’re crazy. [Sorry, I just had to do that.] I dislike all the power lines and such, too. But the bottom line is that this is part of modern life. We need power for things and wires are the way to go.

As far as transmitting energy in some way other than wires, of course lots of folks have considered beaming it. This includes Nikolai Tesla more than 100 years ago. That would get rid of the wire, but would seem to be impractical (even assuming the technology existed to do it effectively). And can you imagine accidentally walking into the beam of a high-power microwave transmission? Whew, boy! Talk about frying your brain!

No, I don’t like the wires and I do have concerns about all the RF stuff around today. With all the cell phones, radio transmitters, certain remote controls and so on, it makes you wonder. Sure, it’s all extremely low energy, but still I wonder if there may not be some longterm effects (but that’s a story for another day).

L

]]> By: deborahbyrd http://blogs.earthsky.org/larrysessions/space/051011/silver-threads-in-space/#comment-33 deborahbyrd Fri, 11 May 2007 01:00:42 +0000 http://blogs.earthsky.org/larrysessions/space/051011/silver-threads-in-space/#comment-33 We just recorded a radio show about <a href="http://www.earthsky.org/radioshows/51321/harnessing-high-altitude-winds-for-energy" rel="nofollow">harnessing high-altitude winds for energy</a>. It'll appear on the website next week. So it seems there are several ideas for flying kite-like machines high in the atmosphere, or above, for various reasons. Personally, these ideas don't thrill me. I think we have enough wires lacing the skies as it is, in the form of electric wires running from house to house and down every street. Call me crazy. I just can't get excited about a different kind of wire extending into space. We just recorded a radio show about harnessing high-altitude winds for energy. It’ll appear on the website next week.

So it seems there are several ideas for flying kite-like machines high in the atmosphere, or above, for various reasons.

Personally, these ideas don’t thrill me. I think we have enough wires lacing the skies as it is, in the form of electric wires running from house to house and down every street. Call me crazy. I just can’t get excited about a different kind of wire extending into space.

]]> By: Larry Sessions http://blogs.earthsky.org/larrysessions/space/051011/silver-threads-in-space/#comment-32 Larry Sessions Fri, 11 May 2007 00:49:00 +0000 http://blogs.earthsky.org/larrysessions/space/051011/silver-threads-in-space/#comment-32 Hard to imagine, isn't it? Just to be clear, the fibers aren't actually silver, but likely will appear that way to those lucky enough to see them from the surface of the earth. I find it hard to believe that something that thin -- no matter how long -- could be viewed in space frm the distance of several hundred miles -- but in fact that is what ESA is claiming! There are concepts (search for "space elevator" and Arthur C. Clarke) about actually connecting an orbiting spacecraft to the earth itself -- wild ideas that comply with the known laws of physics and just might work! Now all we need is for the engineers (you gotta love 'em) to make it work! LS Hard to imagine, isn’t it? Just to be clear, the fibers aren’t actually silver, but likely will appear that way to those lucky enough to see them from the surface of the earth. I find it hard to believe that something that thin — no matter how long — could be viewed in space frm the distance of several hundred miles — but in fact that is what ESA is claiming!

There are concepts (search for “space elevator” and Arthur C. Clarke) about actually connecting an orbiting spacecraft to the earth itself — wild ideas that comply with the known laws of physics and just might work! Now all we need is for the engineers (you gotta love ‘em) to make it work!

LS

]]> By: Lisa http://blogs.earthsky.org/larrysessions/space/051011/silver-threads-in-space/#comment-30 Lisa Thu, 10 May 2007 18:33:11 +0000 http://blogs.earthsky.org/larrysessions/space/051011/silver-threads-in-space/#comment-30 It's hard to believe that we could see anything from space. And the silver fibers are amazing. How could something 18 miles long be that strong? It’s hard to believe that we could see anything from space. And the silver fibers are amazing. How could something 18 miles long be that strong?

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