This year is already amazing - hundreds of millions of vaccinations are being administered - we are locked down within our homes; but, hope is surfacing with the realization that help is on the way. Of course we also have lots of time to think - maybe even about Space Elevators - again. Here are some of my insights of where we are at the beginning of 2021 (several will be expanded in future blog entries):
· There is a material for the tether that is "coming out of the lab" that can be provided long enough and strong enough in a roll-to-roll process. (see webinar by Adrian Nixon on www.isec.org)
· Recent studies have shown that using Space Elevators enables trips to Mars with surprising characteristics: flights as short as 61 days, release towards Mars every day of the year (no 26 month waiting), and massive tonnage each year to Mars (170,000 tonnes). (these are the results of an Arizona State University and ISEC study discussions in "Space Elevators are the Transportation Story of the 21st Century" - available www.isec.org pdf free)
· The latest ISEC study has determined that, indeed, Space Elevators are the Green Road to Space because: 1) electricity from the Sun's energy raises cargo from the ocean's surface to GEO, and 2) the massive cargo delivered to GEO and beyond enables Earth friendly missions such as Space Solar Power (report to be released in March).
· The current ISEC study is analyzing the puzzling engineering challenges of a new tether material with vertical tether climbing cargo carriers. This engineering study is progressing rapidly with a preliminary conclusion that there will be a climbability condition that will enable space elevators to successfully move massive cargo loads to GEO and beyond.
· Our new Space Elevator vision matches those driving humanity off-planet such as Mr. Bezos's statement that he is "building the Road to Space" so the next generation will have "Millions of people living and working in space." Our vision illustrates our ability to provide a second lane in that road to space - a Green Road. (see vision at our website)
· A new strategy has surfaced with all the results from our recent studies and plans for movement off-planet by so many nations and commercial ventures. The Space Elevator Strategy, leveraging its tremendous movement of cargo tonnage, is to join advanced rockets in the support for these visions and ventures. It is a compatible and complementary space elevator infrastructure called Dual Space Access Architecture. With this strategy, it is natural to plan for: Rockets to open up the Moon and Mars with Space Elevators to supply and grow the colonies.
· Our body of knowledge, a remarkable openly available resource, has twelve 18-month study reports, over 800 references to space elevator research, descriptions of modern day architectures, a look at the current baseline (and the last seven), over 35 notes about architectural engineering of our mega-project, multiple webinars on current topics, and access to our last several years of newsletters. This new website was developed to be the "go to location" for modern day Space Elevators.
· Recent analyses has shown that our Initial Operational Capable Space Elevator permanent infrastructure will provide more mass to GEO (and beyond) - 30,000 tonnes - in one year than all the mass placed into orbit between 1957 and 2020 - 22,000 tonnes.
We are on the edge of starting engineering testing and hope to soon join the amazing movement off planet. With the capability of tonnage to GEO and beyond that cannot be matched with the rocket equation, there is a great need for space elevator permanent infrastructures. Indeed, the reusability and increase in launches of future rockets will lower the cost of launch, but not the efficiency of beating gravity. The Space Elevator story is still being written. The Apex Anchor is where the Space Elevator meets the Shoreline of Outer-Space and where the Transportation Story of the 21st Century meets the Final Frontier.