International Space Elevator Consortium
October 2018 ISEC Newsletter
In this Issue:
Editor’s Note
President’s Corner
Architecture Note #21
Space Elevators by 2045
Volunteers Wanted
Editor’s Note
Dear Fellow Space Elevator enthusiast,
We made the news!
Actually, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) did, but ISEC gets good mentions in a few of the articles.
In this edition of the ISEC Newsletter you will find the links to these articles. We also have our latest submissions from our President, Dr. Pete Swan, sharing and expanding upon the five guiding principles leveraged from Peter Diamandis, best known for being the chairman of the X Prize Foundation. These five principles will help to focus our effort in attaining ISEC's vision to provide the world with inexpensive, safe, routine, and efficient access to space for the benefit of all mankind. Also in this edition, our Chief Architect, Michael Fitzgerald, gives us a preview of his article submitted to Ad Astra, the magazine of the National Space Society, one of our partners. If you would like to see any of his past Architectural Notes, they are all available at ISEC.org under the Resources tab. While you are there, if you haven't signed up as a member, please do so under the Get Involved tab!
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 for reading and lending your support in the development of Space Elevators!
Sandee Schaeffer
ISEC Newsletter Editor
President's Corner
Guiding Principles
by Pete Swan
Our conference last month was awesome! The discussions were great and the topics varied. In addition, the attendees made the conference stimulating with creative ideas and interesting proposals. However, Peter Diamandis, in an email "blog," laid out his thoughts on future education. [Peter Diamandis, email 9 Sept 2018] There were many points and stimulting thoughts for the future of our children... but also applicable to our own breakout project. In the below discussions, I will condense his words to emphasize my thoughts on the topic of how we should proceed within ISEC. We have so many good people and great projects, [from marketing to history to outreach to architectural engineering and understanding our material needs] that we need to recognize the guiding principles for the ISEC environment. I believe we should start our discussions with passion, curiosity, imagination, critical thinking and grit. Here are his five guiding principles arranged for our needs inside ISEC: [my words in blue]
Passion: You’d be amazed at how many people don’t have a mission in life… A calling… something to jolt them out of bed every morning. The most valuable resource for humanity is the persistent and passionate human mind, so creating a future of passionate ISEC Supporters is critical. In the same way that the Apollo program and Star Trek drove my early love for all things space, and that passion drove me to learn and do.
Curiosity: Curiosity is something innate in kids, yet something lost by most adults during the course of their life. Why? It seems to me that our mission to influence the future and enable cheap access to space for humanity to become a multi-planet species could drive curiosity.
Imagination: Entrepreneurs and visionaries imagine the world (and the future) they want to live in, and then they create it. We at ISEC know that we are dealing with a future that requires imagination... including the ability to choose the proper path within many for things like an Earth Port design or the material choice for the difficult task of supporting the tethers and multiple climbers. It is critical that ISEC players know how important and liberating imagination can be.
Critical Thinking: In a world flooded with often-conflicting ideas, baseless claims, misleading headlines, negative news and misinformation, learning the skill of critical thinking helps find the signal in the noise. This principle is perhaps the most difficult to teach kids. Inside ISEC, we are trying to lay out opportunities for technologies to be chosen and mature. The ability to assess between approaches and materials for a system to become operational in 20 years requires Critical Thinking in the extreme.
Grit/Persistence: Grit is defined as “passion and perseverance in pursuit of long-term goals,” and it has recently been widely acknowledged as one of the most important predictors of and contributors to success. Yeah, someone recognized that ISEC is and will always be based upon persistence.
I have leveraged Dr. Diamandis' thinking multiple times for my President's Corner. The reason is simple - he lives in the world we live in! We are trying to mature a breakout technological infrastruce that would become a "Moon Shot." We have the potential to improve humanity, so we need passion, curiosity, imagination, critical thinking and Grit within ISEC. Thanks Peter for the inspiration you provide.
Keep Climbing my Friends,
Pete
Architecture Note #21
Space Elevator Transportation System
Article for Ad Astra Magazine
by Michael Fitzgerald
Personal Prolog
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.
Background
In early June, the Chief Architect approached NSS’s Dave Dresser about a more collaborative relationship between NSS and ISEC. One of the outcomes was Dave suggesting we connect with Rod Pyle at ad Astra & get an article into the coming edition.
This is the result of that suggestion.
Space Elevators seen as part of a “Galactic Harbour”
Reliable, safe, clean, and efficient access to space; without debris, within a permanent transportation infrastructure. The International Space Elevator Consortium has been investigating the technology challenges of achieving space access without rockets. It is called a Space Elevator. This Space Elevator lifts cargo into space like any elevator you have seen in any building. The elevator cable is called a “tether” while the elevator car is called a “climber”. The upper end of the tether, an Apex Anchor is counterweight; 100,000 kilometers up there, held in place by the combination of 1) centripetal/centrifugal forces generated by attachment to a spinning earth; and 2) the reduced force of gravity at the higher altitude. This transportation capability is close at hand.
At the ISDC Conference in Los Angeles in May 2018, the International Space Elevator Consortium (ISEC) discussed the viability of building the Space Elevator Transportation System. ISEC sees the Transportation System supporting the space industries that will be burgeoning on orbit by mid-century; companies that will be servicing and repairing operating satellites, managing small orbital factories, supporting interplanetary flights, and delivering power & unique materials to a crowded Earth.
The Space Elevator will eventually replace heavy lift rockets and become the primary pathway to space. Each system is seen to have 14 Climbers each carrying up to 20 tons to Geosynchronous orbit and beyond. The Climbers move along a Tether that will be longer and stronger than any elevator cable ever made.
Since discussed years ago in science fiction like Arthur C. Clarke’s “Space Odyssey- 3001” critics have pointed at the challenges; dismissing the benefits. But in the last few years things have changed. Announcements regarding materials with high tensile strength convinced many that the tether challenge could be met. ISEC reported that the Elevator could by solidly simulated; an essential tool for engineers. Unique engineering approaches like multi-stage elevator construction also provided validity to the feasibility of building the Elevator. The Space Elevator team from Japan have published their intent to construct an Elevator. Most recently, China announced their intent to have an operational Space Elevator by 2045.
ISEC brought forward the concept of regions in space logistically supported by the Elevator and coined that approach as the Galactic Harbour Architecture. The Space Elevator has left science fiction. This could be the story of this century.
The Galactic Harbour ‘s Destiny
The Architecture will be the transportation and commerce foundation for a growing Earth population; estimated to exceed 11 billion by 2060. To support such a population; power, products, and resources in general must be found and developed. A robust permanent transportation system is needed to support the search and the developments; much as the transcontinental railroads fueled development in the 19th century, and container shipping was the foundation of the 20th century explosion in global commerce. The Galactic Harbour is an active construct, and people “get it”. The Elevator will support daily departures; tons of cargo up to orbit and daily arrivals of products from space. ISEC has set out to socialize the concept and its technology maturation efforts with industry and academia.
The Space Elevator Transportation System is the main channel in the Galactic Harbour. Using that transportation support, on-orbit businesses will locate themselves near this flow; depending on it for services, spare parts, and customers. The GEO Belt is already flourishing with hundreds of commercial and government satellites. These satellites can be repaired, rebuilt, refueled, and reprogrammed inside the Elevator’s GEO Region; solar power generation systems will be assembled; gravity-free research and experimentation will be conducted; and interplanetary journeys will be launched using spacecraft assembled in factories within the Space Elevator’s GEO Region. Some governments have signaled to get started. Japan’s Basic Space Law – passed in 2008 - established Space Solar Power as a national goal. China matched this with their 2015 roadmap for sizable power delivery from space by 2050. This date coincides with the first operational date of China’s Space Elevator in 2045. Things are becoming obvious.
The Galactic Harbour is the first stop to everywhere
A Space Elevator is a permanent space transportation infrastructure. It is composed of an Earth Port where cargo is received, Climbers for carrying up to 20 tons cargo each, Tethers on which the Climbers move up and down. At the geosynchronous altitude is the GEO Node. This is the region where the business services and factories will operate. Further up, the Tether is attached to the APEX Anchor; keeping the Tether taut and stable for efficient operations.
One of the principle thrusts towards an operational Space Elevator is its customer utilization. Today’s forward-thinking companies can see their commercial space projects within the Galactic Harbour. The Galactic Harbour is the unification of transportation and enterprise; operations that move customer payloads from earth to space destinations (the customer’s places of business).
The cargo enters the Galactic Harbour at the Earth Port where it is placed inside Climbers which proceed up the Elevator’s Tether with cargo inside; much as any elevator car in any building might carry passengers or cargo to the upper floors. The exact point of delivery is possible most anywhere, per the customer’s desires. A primary destination is likely a region near geosynchronous altitude where a great deal of Space business is currently active; the Elevator’s GEO Node Region.
The operating concept encompasses two Tether Termini on the ocean surface near the Earth Port’s central operating platform (where incoming and outgoing ships, helicopters and airplanes operate – handling cargo, as well as housing crews and support services). The Elevator operates from the Earth Port, stretching up to include tethers, climbers and other elevator system elements out to the Apex Anchors; 100,000 kilometers above the Earth Port. Products and payloads for space delivery enter the Galactic Harbour at the Earth Port and exit at the GEO region, or the Apex region or at another point along the Tether.
Any release point above the GEO Node could be used as an energetic departure point for travel elsewhere. Departure energy is derived from the angular speed (centripetal force), the diminished strength of Earth’s gravity, and the increased effect of gravity from elsewhere in our galactic locale the Moon, Mars, the asteroid belt, an intergalactic trek, or the sun.
Eventually, the Apex Anchor will use its high energy location to launch interplanetary flights; and receive the returning flights. The Apex is unique. It’s position at the far end of the Tether provides incredibly efficient impetus to spacecraft destined to Mars, the resource rich asteroids, or any other undiscovered necessities. These Apex departing space craft are “tossed” toward their destinations; mankind’s destiny. The Galactic Harbour is, indeed, the first stop to everywhere.
Because we must
The Space Elevator will be built, because it must be built. The operating elevator will be the core of mankind’s capability to survive to the next century. It is the source of tomorrow’s clean energy. It is the source of tomorrow’s food and water. It is the route to travel to other planets, efficiently … and more. Perhaps most importantly the Space Elevator opens the road, it opens the Heavens; it opens the way. It will, as the poet cites, allow us to truly ‘slip the surly bonds of Earth’. It is our responsibility to do so.
"Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I’ve climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
of sun-split clouds, — and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of
This starts a poem by John Gillespie Magee on his dreams of flight; written in the middle of the 20th century. It seems that it also portrays our dreams of space travel by the middle of the 21st century.
The Space Elevator will be a transformational transportation system. It will move objects, systems, material and (eventually) people from the Earth to Space. The Space Elevator will be incredibly more efficient than today’s launch systems leaving the deep and strong gravity well of Earth.
The Space Elevator will be safe. It will be environmentally friendly, and most importantly, it will enable a wide range of activities in Space. Because of the Space Elevator, we will do today’s Space missions better than ever before. It will enable us to do missions in Space that have only been dreamt of. ISEC’s goal is to show how space elevator effectiveness for future missions can lead towards galactic destinations. By understanding this new revolutionary capability; we will be able to go wherever we wish.
In closing, I hope they see us coming!
More to come,
Fitzer
Michael A. Fitzgerald
Chief Architect
Space Elevators by 2045
by Pete Swan
The international aspects of the space elevator was emphasized recently with the flight of the Japanese tether climber, launched from the International Space Station. See:
https://amp.space.com/41278-japan-space-elevator-cubesats-experiment.html
In addition, I am not sure everyone caught the announcement by the Chinese about the space elevator, so I have it here.
"China's space tour, to be realized within 10 years. People's Internet Japanese version November 17, 2017 14: 45 - The first research institute of China Aerospace Science and Technology Group has recently announced the "Space Transportation System Development Road Map 2017-2045" in Beijing and systematically planned the blueprint of the vision and development of "Capacity" rocket capacity building. People's Daily reported. The plan is planned as follows. The Championship mainstream rocket reaches the world first-class standard by 2020 and realizes the first flight of a low-cost medium-sized rocket "Long March 8". We will develop a reusable sub - orbit spacecraft around 2025 and realize sub - orbital space travel.
The first flight of a large rocket is realized around 2030, and it strongly supports the manned month landing business. Realize complete reuse of the rocket around 2035, realize the first flight of the next generation rocket of the future featuring smartization and advanced power, and apply the high performance smart space transport system widely. Approach the future next generation rocket around 2040, develop a two-stage power reuse spacecraft, realize a significant progress of the nuclear space shuttle, realize a minor planet minerals mining and solar space station. In 2045, it is expected to realize the construction of the space elevator, the earth station, and the space relay station by bringing about a breakthrough change in the method of space entry and space transportation." [From translation of Chinese announcement - November 17, 2017]
EDITOR’S NOTE: As an addendum to the above article by Pete Swan, I wanted to include other links pertaining to the Japan experiment:
Popular Mechanics put out a brief, but very explanatory article. And, if you are like me and tend to get sucked “into the rabbit hole” of the internet, you will find many suggested articles to click on and spend an entire afternoon catching up on the latest in tech!
The New York post puts in their $.02 worth with this blurb: (But watch out for the pop up ads that slide your reading away or cover your text!)
https://nypost.com/2018/09/04/japan-begins-testing-elevator-to-space/
The UK Daily Mail goes a couple of steps further with the following article which includes some history, a couple of concept videos, and many concept drawings and diagrams. If you are wanting to introduce a friend to the concept, this article would be a great starting point!
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-6129387/Going-Japan-test-mini-space-elevator.html
Leonard David has his own site, much like a blog, with various articles regarding space (I just found one article that answers a question I’ve had since the Space Elevator Conference!) He interviews our President, Pete Swan. Visit his page with this link:
http://www.leonarddavid.com/space-elevator-experiment-headed-for-space-station/
Speaking of Space elevator Conference, Scott Snowden is a journalist and an ISEC member who attended for his second time this year and wrote an article that made it to NBC News!
That should keep you busy for a while.
Enjoy!
Sandee Schaeffer
Volunteers Wanted
In our modern world, the web and social media are the most common ways that people get their news and information about, well, everything! ISEC wants to take fuller advantage of this trend to reach new audiences that we haven't been able to before, and spread the word about space elevators.
If you are excited about space elevators (as we know you are!) and are savvy in how to use web and social media tools, we want to talk with you! We have the following volunteer positions open at ISEC:
ISEC Social Media Guru -- We are looking for someone to help us drive further engagement with current and new space elevator enthusiasts in the social media arenas of Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram. We would love to have someone come on board to help us maximize the use of these technologies.
ISEC Board Member for Web and Social Media efforts -- We are looking for a liaison between the ISEC Board of Directors and the Webmaster, Newsletter, and Social Media Guru. This person could also help out with any special efforts along these lines as they want. Being on the ISEC Board means that you can influence what topics we study and how we go about educating the larger public about all the benefits of space elevators.
If either of these sound interesting, please send email to sandee.schaeffer@isec.org, with your interest!
Thanks!
Sandee Schaeffer,
Newsletter Editor