Comments on: 2045: Will there be a Space Elevator? http://bytemyfloppydisk.com/2045-will-there-be-a-space-elevator/ where old technology can go bite it :P Sat, 15 Aug 2009 22:59:18 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Brian Dunbar http://bytemyfloppydisk.com/2045-will-there-be-a-space-elevator/comment-page-1/#comment-5 Brian Dunbar Sat, 15 Aug 2009 22:59:18 +0000 http://bytemyfloppydisk.com/?p=110#comment-5 <i>Philip Ragan says that “The first country to deploy a space elevator will have a 95 per cent cost advantage and could potentially control all space activities.”</i> $9 billion is a bit low for the total cost of a space elevator. Leaving aside that we don't actually -know- how much one will cost you've got a lot of R+D, test flights and hardware tests before you can put up a system. Note also 'potentially control'. An SE represents a choke point in economic terms, but not geographic: potentially any location on the equator will serve as the base for a space elevator. Also .... a commercial elevator will eliminate most of the objections to a single country 'owning' a space elevator. If the elevator is owned by a corporation located in the US but allows anyone to buy space .. what's the big deal? Philip Ragan says that “The first country to deploy a space elevator will have a 95 per cent cost advantage and could potentially control all space activities.”

$9 billion is a bit low for the total cost of a space elevator. Leaving aside that we don’t actually -know- how much one will cost you’ve got a lot of R+D, test flights and hardware tests before you can put up a system.

Note also ‘potentially control’. An SE represents a choke point in economic terms, but not geographic: potentially any location on the equator will serve as the base for a space elevator.

Also …. a commercial elevator will eliminate most of the objections to a single country ‘owning’ a space elevator. If the elevator is owned by a corporation located in the US but allows anyone to buy space .. what’s the big deal?

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