Home > News > Japan hopes to turn sci-fi into reality with elevator to the stars
September 21st, 2008
Japan hopes to turn sci-fi into reality with elevator to the stars
Abstract:
Now the finest scientific minds of Japan are devoting themselves to cracking the greatest sci-fi vision of all: the space elevator. Man has so far conquered space by painfully and inefficiently blasting himself out of the atmosphere but the 21st century should bring a more leisurely ride to the final frontier.
The biggest obstacle lies in the cables. To extend the elevator to a stationary satellite from the Earth's surface would require twice that length of cable to reach a counterweight, ensuring that the cable maintains its tension.
The cable must be exceptionally light, staggeringly strong and able to withstand all projectiles thrown at it inside and outside the atmosphere. The answer, according to the groups working on designs, will lie in carbon nanotubes - microscopic particles that can be formed into fibres and whose mass production is now a focus of Japan's big textile companies.
Source:
timesonline.co.uk
Bookmark:
| Related News Press |
News and information
Nanobiotix Plans to Conduct Registered Public Offering in the United States January 17th, 2019
Power stations driven by light: More efficient solar cells imitate photosynthesis January 16th, 2019
Drilling speed increased by 20% – yet another upgrade in the oil & gas sector made possible by graphene nanotubes January 15th, 2019
Chirality in 'real-time' January 14th, 2019
Possible Futures
Nanobiotix Plans to Conduct Registered Public Offering in the United States January 17th, 2019
Power stations driven by light: More efficient solar cells imitate photosynthesis January 16th, 2019
Chirality in 'real-time' January 14th, 2019
Cartilage could be key to safe 'structural batteries' January 11th, 2019
Interviews/Book Reviews/Essays/Reports/Podcasts/Journals/White papers
2D materials may enable electric vehicles to get 500 miles on a single charge January 11th, 2019
New materials could help improve the performance of perovskite solar cells January 11th, 2019
Spintronics 'miracle material' put to the test: Physicists build devices using mineral perovskite January 11th, 2019
Cartilage could be key to safe 'structural batteries' January 11th, 2019
Aerospace/Space
Superfluidity: what is it and why does it matter? December 20th, 2018
Three CEA Projects Awarded European Research Council Synergy Grants November 26th, 2018
'Smart skin' simplifies spotting strain in structures: Rice U. invention can use fluorescing carbon nanotubes to reveal stress in aircraft, structures November 15th, 2018
Epoxy compound gets a graphene bump: Rice scientists combine graphene foam, epoxy into tough, conductive composite November 14th, 2018
 |
||
 |
||
| The latest news from around the world, FREE | ||
 |
||
|
|
||
| Premium Products | ||
 |
||
|
Only the news you want to read!
Learn More |
||
 |
||
|
Full-service, expert consulting
Learn More |
||
|
|
||