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                                              Our next step is into Space

The books I have cited on earlier pages have assumed that this world is all there is. However, I once read somewhere that the amount of hydrocarbons (oil) floating in the atmosphere round one of the giant planets was three times the volume of the earth, to give one example of the resources available in space.

In the light of all the difficulties with resources and the environment, I believe we need to develop a cheap way to get into space. We need to do this as a matter of urgency, not in a few centuries' time, when it may be too late. I think we should devote the dwindling resources of our planet to this end. If we can succeed, it will open up a pathway for us all.

A leading contender is the orbital tower, or space elevator. Arthur C Clarke imagined a space elevator being built in 2030. He wrote, "Of course, the Elevator was just the beginning. The plans for the future were astonishing; with space opened up at last, asteroids would be mined for metals, minerals and even water, and solar power stations the size of Manhattan would be assembled in orbit. A new industrial revolution was about to begin, and with the free flow of energy up there in space the possibilities for the growth of civilisation were unbounded. But the heavy industries which had done so much harm in the past, mining and energy production among them, would now be transferred off the planet. This time the earth would be preserved for what it was good for: serving as the home of the most complex ecosystem known." (Clarke and Baxter, p247).

                                                                    What is a Space Elevator?

In the 1890s, Konstantin Tsiolkovsky proposed a tower reaching from earth into space which could be used as a lift. This is not as daft as it sounds. In effect, it would be a satelite in geostationary orbit which is so long that its bottom would reach the surface of the earth, and its top reach another 22,000 miles further out towards the moon. The centre of gravity would be in the middle, at the point of orbit.

Such a structure would require enormous strength, beyond any of the materials that we have had until recently. However, it is now possible to make Carbon_nanotubes, thin threads of a new arrangement of the carbon molecule which are very strong. Such threads have been spun together to form a cord too thin to be visible, but strong enough to lift up a truck. Provided a long enough length can be created, this material could be used as the basis for a space elevator. Once it was in position, the difficulty of reaching orbit would be enormously reduced. In addition, for a spaceship to reach escape velocity, it would simply go on up to the top of the upward extending arm and let go.

Space is a hostile environment. Radiation is a major problem. The enormous strength needed for the cable seems daunting; carbon nanotubes might not work. The project would not be easy, but it seems to me we would be wise to pursue it. It also chimes in with my personal reading of the Bible, rather surprisingly - see next page.
space elevator

So Now what?

Please spread the word, read up about it, and do get in touch. To get you started, Clarke's novel The Fountains of Paradise (1979) is a fun read and introduces the concept well. Recommended. Read about Bradley Edwards who wants to build one sooner rather than later, and see his report. Browse the and spaceward and watch the development of carbon nanotubes. Other links : news item . . . second version . . . and again . . . International Space Elevator Consortium . . . Liftport Group . . . Rotation system . . . and not least  spaceelevatorgames.org

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