Editor’s Note

Dear Friend,

Welcome to the August 2017 Newsletter. Here you will find current technical content from our engineers and new opportunities to get involved. Most importantly this is a reminder to register for the annual Space Elevator Conference this August in Seattle! Dr. David Raitt, a long time SE researcher and career European Space Agency scientist, will be giving the keynote presentation. The three day programs included technical lectures, group brainstorming sessions, a Family Science Fest and full access to the Seattle Museum of Flight where the conference is held.

In this edition you will find Micheal Fitzgerald's thoughts on the long term planning horizon for the SE as well as an update on SE tether materials from Research Director Dr. John Knapman. We are also excited to announce a call for presentations/papers the Space Elevator Symposium at the British Interplanetary Society in November. President Pete Swan continues to offer up inspiration for progress in the SE world. Thank you for reading and lending your support in the development of Space Elevators!

As always, you will find notices of several open volunteer positions (a great way to help this project, even if you’re not a scientist or engineer) and a reminder that all ISEC reports are available FOR FREE in electronic (pdf) format at ISEC.org. There is plenty of work to be done!

If you want to help us make a space elevator happen, JOIN ISEC and get involved! A space elevator would truly revolutionize life on earth and open up the solar system and beyond to all of us.

Please don’t forget to LIKE US on Facebook, FOLLOW US on Twitter, and enjoy the photos and videos that we’ve posted on Flickr and YouTube, all under our Social Identity of ISECdotORG.

Thank you,

Sandy Curth
ISEC Publicity Director

ISEC Conference 2017 Registration Open

Great news, you can now register for the 2017 ISEC Space Elevator Conference, August 25-27, 2017 at the Museum of Flight in Seattle, WA, USA. Taking off from the ISEC Research Team's current focus the theme of this year's conference is Space Elevator Simulations. How can we effectively model the complexities of both the Space Elevator's physics and infrastructure to bring this idea into reality? Some simulations have already been created, but they are just starting points for the extensive and ongoing simulation efforts needed to prove the safety and practicality of the Space Elevator. Join us for a weekend at the Seattle Museum of Flight to here from leading researchers and work though these ideas with fellow scientists, engineers and general SE enthusiasts. If you are interested in presenting research please see the note below.

Register by July 9th for "early-bird" rates. Student discounts may be applied as well.

Events at the conference include:

  • 3 day Technical Program

  • Presentations and Q&A

  • Working sessions

  • Discussions of the 2016-2017 Research Topic

  • Elevator Speech Contest

  • Youth Robotic Climber Competition

We look forward to seeing you there! For further details on the Technical Program, lodging, etc. please head to http://isec.org.

See you soon!
ISEC Leadership Team

David Raitt -- Keynote Speaker

"History and how it leads to the Future" 

International Space Elevator Conference
25-27 August, Seattle Museum of Flight

Dr David Raitt worked for the European Space Agency in France and Italy, as well as The Netherlands, in a variety of positions from 1969 to 2009 when he retired. As Senior Technology Transfer Officer in the Agency's R&D establishment, ESTEC, The Netherlands, his activities involved identifying and researching new breakthrough technological opportunities to ascertain their subsequent spin-off/spin-in possibilities in new markets and making the general public more aware of space technologies and concepts and the benefits that can result from technology spin-off. David has been intrigued and involved with the concept of the space elevator since 2000 - He attended the very first space elevator conference in Seattle in 2002 at the invitation of Dr Brad Edwards. David Raitt has been particularly active within the International Astronautical Congress where he was, until his retirement, Coordinator of the Space Activity and Society symposium and also Co-Chair of several sessions dealing with space and society, technology transfer and the space elevator. He was also involved as the senior editor in the IAA study, published in 2013, on an assessment of the technological feasibility of the space elevator. He recently edited the book published by ISEC entitled: Space Elevators: A History.

President's Corner 

Capture, Curiosity, & Excitement

As I think about our exciting project that can transform the world, I am always excited and "pumped up." This results in me offering my ideas to almost anyone who will listen. It is amazing at cocktail parties, golf outings, airplane rides, or just casual meetings how often the topic turns to space and the future, and then they ask what I do. Ah Ha! The opening I always wait for. This is where Cathy says "keep it short" and simple. Then the conversation takes off into why space elevator and what the benefits to humanity would be. Oops - then the HOW, WHEN, and Approach. I have this down pat to create the concept in their minds and turn them on to the concept - all within five minutes. It is important to pass the word. To confirm this, I was just reading in one of my incoming emails from various places [this time Robert Steven Kramarz, author and investor] that help reinforce the concept of explaining rapidly with "panache." His premise is that when conducting a marketing pitch, be sure to:

            Capture their Attention

            Trigger Curiosity

            Fan the Excitement

These three actions will ensure that at least the target audience will leave with a better understanding; and, perhaps even a little desire to become involved and learn more.   As I look back on my growth inside the space elevator arena, I often go back to the basics and remember the capturing of my imagination, launching my curiosity, and expanding my excitement. All we need to do is use these three words when approaching those who want to know.

You can be sure that this month's International Space Elevator Conference [25-27 August at Seattle Museum of Flight] will ensure that those three active verbs are going to be in large supply. Please join us and enjoy!

Keep Climbing my Friends --

Pete Swan

Space Elevator Research

The search goes on for materials that are strong and light enough to build the space elevator. Progress is taking place in two directions:

  1. Producing stronger materials in greater lengths

  2. Finding ways to reduce the strength required

We measure specific strength, which is tensile strength divided by mass density. We have named the unit the MYuri after Yuri Artsutanov, who published "Into space in an electric car" in 1960.

You can buy Torayca carbon fiber yarn from the Toray company of Japan; it has a specific strength of 3.9 MYuri. A group at East China University in Shanghai announced last year that they had produced a length of ribbon with a specific strength of 5.2 MYuri composed of carbon nanotubes (CNTs). Single short CNTs have been made with strengths exceeding 100 MYuri. Researchers are developing methods of engineering at the miniscule level of nanotechnology, because the problem has always been the need to eliminate flaws in chains of molecules.

Whereas the book by Brad Edwards proposed using a material of at least 100 MYuri, Ben Shelef showed that a lower strength was adequate. He worked out how much time on the elevator would have to be spent on maintenance and repairs, and showed that you could still lift a useful amount of payload with a strength of 38 MYuri. More recently, some analysis has been done to bring this figure down even more using a multi-stage approach to the space elevator.

It looks as though a convergence is taking place between developing stronger materials and reducing the strength required.

Dr. John Knapman
ISEC Research Director 

EARTH PORT

Missing the latest Earth Port update? Vern is hard at work preparing a formal paper and presentation for the upcoming ISEC Conference in Seattle! Don't miss it, the topic will be focus on location and transportation issues for the Earth Port Access City. 

Architecture Note #11

Personal Prologue 

This is an Architecture Note. It is the opinion of ISEC's Chief Architect. It represents an effort to document ISEC's ongoing science and engineering discussions, and is one of many to be published over time. Most importantly, it is a sincere effort to be the diary, or the chronicle, of the multitude of our technical considerations as we progress; along the pathway developing the Space Elevator.

Michael A. Fitzgerald 

Our Long-Term (30+ year) Planning Horizon

We have a Planning Horizon reaching out to 30 years into the future. That is different than having a plan for the next 30 years.

Introduction

In Arch Note #10, I caused a minor stir by citing a 30-year Planning Horizon. I got a few contacts calling out that ISEC's Initial Operations Capability (IOC) for the Space Elevator will be as early as 2037. For those of you keen on math, the 2037 IOC is 20 years away. While I cited a planning horizon, it was thought to be a plan. So, some confusion; and perhaps some points were poorly explained. Fair enough, let's talk about why we need planning horizons and plans.

Additionally, I called for 5 six yearlong planning phases. (planning phases, not plans!). I was really trying to point out that we have several distinct technical needs, not one great big 30 year one.   The important point was that the phase durations should be about 5 to 7 years in order to get into the cycle of today's investors; government or industry.

Let's talk about all of this, and get our words to match our activities. We should also structure our planning phases in a way which attracts funds and does not scare away potential partners. Let's talk about planning horizons, planning phases, IOC, and all that.

The Planning Horizon and how it fits us.

The key word is horizon. We mean horizon. Not "over the horizon" like a fancy radar or a battlefield cavalry scout. Not "short of the horizon", like something that is well within our view. We certainly expect our Space Elevator to be valuable for a while after IOC; perhaps even out to the horizon. We have discussed our Space Elevator Transportation System improving and growing after IOC.  That growth and that improvement is within our planning horizon. If not, we would get to IOC and we would wonder what to do next! We don't want that!

In Architecture Note #10, I cited 5 phases that could be part of our journey. There are probably a few more. It is now obvious that each of the phases need not be six years. The phases could be partly concurrent, reducing the net duration to something effective for proper system development and for proper design integration of the results of each phase.

In my experience, the system development lead / system integrator foresees "need dates" for the various needed products. These products that are results of planned, focused, phases. In our case, these "planning phases" are technical maturation efforts. Other planning phases could be for needed operational testing, personnel training - or even marketing. Placing the need dates properly into an overall, Integrated Master Schedule, coordinating the progress of the several phases, and managing the trials and tribulations of Mega Project exigencies is our lot. Not the proverbial "piece of cake"; but it suits us.

Phases and the Space Elevator Transportation System.

The several technical phases need not be underway at the same time. Progress in one of the technical phases could have some impact on another.   Arranging these technical maturation phases between now and IOC calls for a sweet combination of experience, investment, and bravado. Back up sources for high risk products would be a good idea. Alternatives shall be developed. Internal cross phase communication, and shared technical evaluations are a necessity. Surprise is not a good technical management attribute. Risk management and risk mitigation are good technical management skills.

Phases and Fiscal Partners.

The considerations of the fiscal partners may take precedent from time to time. We should expect their participation. Their financial involvement makes them part of the technical management solutions to be employed. This is not new in the commercial space world. In my dealings with the large satellite communications providers, I have been impressed with their management processes which consider fiscal impact as well as technical, developmental, and operational factors. During the development of the Space Elevator Transportation System and the subsequent operations of it and the Enterprise System, a similar process will form; and then morph to meet similar exigencies. Our fiscal partners will bring funding only if it is seed for payback in the Enterprise.

Phases and the Space Elevator Enterprise.

Architecture Note #9 touches on this relationship of the many enabled entrepreneurial efforts ("The Enterprise") and the Transportation System. Architecture Note #10 foresees funding sources interested in the same technical products we need for development of the Transportation System. These early funding sources need not be the entrepreneurs; in fact likely not. The entrepreneurs will be part of the funding sources when they recognize that the Transportation System is being built, and is enabling an Enterprise System. With that recognition, the entrepreneurs will join us, building the business centerpiece we expect it to be.

In closing

In Architecture Note #9, we are admonished to not build that "bridge to nowhere". Instead, our 'bridge to somewhere' will be solidly based on our strategic approach and the implementation of sound 1) fiscal, 2) developmental, 3) technical, and 4) operational decision making. These four factors meet first when we develop the focused technical maturation efforts; introduced in Note #10 as the planning phases. 

Michael A. Fitzgerald 

Why Volunteer?   

As the ISEC is a 501 [c] 3 organization, it lives and breaths with its volunteer force. Merriam-Webster defines a volunteer as:

"A person who voluntarily undertakes or expresses a willingness to undertake a service"

We have a marvelous team working to support our vision and goals with minimal requirements upon each. We meet once a year at the International Space Elevator Conference and then we work "long-distance" with each other on projects of mutual interest. Some of those are research, history, studies, experiments, and supporting higher educations [STEM]. Every once in awhile, we need new support for different projects. Recently, we elected a new Board of Directors member [Michael "Fitzer" Fitzgerald] and we formed new teams for membership, social media and the new web presentation. Each of these projects is moving forward aggressively; however, we continually need new blood and new excitement added to the mix. I was hoping that one of our readers would love to jump into the mix and volunteer for our most recent significant need:

Pete Swan

We invite anyone to contribute to the newsletter by answering this question.
Please send your inputs to: pete.swan@isec.org.
[note: your submission is permission to print.]