Home > News > Is space elevator the next ride to the final frontier?
August 25th, 2007
Is space elevator the next ride to the final frontier?
Abstract:
Nanotechnology's the key
To the extent that a space elevator is feasible at all is due to advances in the science of nanotechnology, especially carbon nanotubes. These are atomic-scale threads with a tensile strength greater than steel but with vastly less weight; when bound together, they become unimaginably strong.
The long spine of the proposed elevator would be 30 inches wide but only as thick as a sheet of paper. Wade Adams, a nanotech researcher at Rice University, said nano engineers have created threads 15 percent as strong as those needed for an elevator, and continue to make steady progress. Existing nanotube threads are already triple the strength of the Kevlar strands used in bulletproof vests.
Source:
postbulletin.com
Bookmark:
| Related News Press |
Interviews/Book Reviews/Essays/Reports/Podcasts/Journals/White papers/Posters
Metasurfaces smooth light to boost magnetic sensing precision January 30th, 2026
COF scaffold membrane with gate‑lane nanostructure for efficient Li+/Mg2+ separation January 30th, 2026
Aerospace/Space
Decoding hydrogen‑bond network of electrolyte for cryogenic durable aqueous zinc‑ion batteries January 30th, 2026
ICFO researchers overcome long-standing bottleneck in single photon detection with twisted 2D materials August 8th, 2025
Onion-like nanoparticles found in aircraft exhaust May 14th, 2025
 |
||
 |
||
| 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 |
||
|
|
||