At 09:10 PM 28/02/00 -0800, Spike wrote:
If we wanted a tension-only cable,
>we would need to raise all the material to geo, then generate
>cable and lower it, while simultaneously paying out a countermass
>upward.
Good grief, no. Find a carbonaceous condrite asteroid, mass-drive stuff off
it to geostationary orbit, catch the stuff, spin a buckytube cable down and
up. Hang another asteroid on the end if you like, or just keep running it
outward.
(BTW, I believe you're conflating SONGS OF DISTANT EARTH - the ice
ablative-shielded sub-light starship - and THE FOUNTAINS OF PARADISE - the
skyhook novel.)
And I *still* love the powered re-circulating orbital Fountain - look Ma,
no hands!
Damien
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