The problem in Traveller is that when that "darn" grav drive appears at TL 8, all sorts of really cool concepts land on the trash heap with a simple:
"Yeah, but why don't we just toss it in the back of the family pickup (aka. Air/Raft) and just fly it there?"
In my opinion, grav tech should have been saved for TL 12+ to allow for lots of interesting future things at TLs 8-11.
Debunking the "elevator"?
Wind shear would deform it to the point of uselessness (Assuming, by some miracle, it didn't totally destroy it first).
Line stretch in the cable...
Torsional rotation on the cable...
MASSIVE size of winding drum and pulley...
What anchors the pulley (Space end of contraption)? It would be more akin to flying a kite. IF you had a line long, and strong, enough for the operation you'd just pull whatever was on the other end toward the earth.
The slightest change, and I mean that in the "limit theorem of calculus" definition, would start the thing into a rapidly accelerating instability.
It doesn't take physics 101 to see this is a total joke. :rofl:
We'll just leave the Tower of Babel out of it, other that an "historical" reference, from the first time man considered such a scheme.
Last but not least? Gravity is a BITCH!
The problem in Traveller is that when that "darn" grav drive appears at TL 8, all sorts of really cool concepts land on the trash heap with a simple:
"Yeah, but why don't we just toss it in the back of the family pickup (aka. Air/Raft) and just fly it there?"
In my opinion, grav tech should have been saved for TL 12+ to allow for lots of interesting future things at TLs 8-11.
While I agree with many of the concerns, it should be pointed out that a circa TL 5 steel cable is adequate for a space elevator on the moon and Traveller Armor includes some materials a LOT stronger than steel.
So on Earth and right now, nope.
At TL 9 on a size 5 world, maybe.
[except for those 'darn' TL 8 air/rafts.]
Again, what will you tether it to? What holds the "space end" in space?:nonono:
The hull of a retired Azhanti High Lightning cruiser, heavily modified to serve as an orbital facility?
Again, what will you tether it to? What holds the "space end" in space?:nonono:
Requires some gear to assure that it (1) stays up and (2) doesn't slow down.
Vladika, I always understood that the space elevator car would work more like a vehicle that crawled up the cables or lattice or whatever it was, that verse nano-tubish cables working on it to pull it up or lower ot.
I still think space-elevators are true science fiction, and that they'll never be built except by some very advanced civ, and only then as a curiosity, not as a practical structure.
Never mind. I saw that cartoon where the Indian snake charmer...![]()