Category Archives: Space Elevator

Tuesday / 7 September 2021

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Moon Space Elevator Emerging as Practical Cis-Lunar Transportation Solution

As supply chain disruptions of LOX and LN2 create launch delays amid medical crisis, limitations of chemical propulsion generally (availability, risk, environmental effects) have prompted industry and academic thought leaders to conceptualize space ‘elevator’ as infrastructure alternative, championed by International Space Elevator Consortium; Moon-based elevators take advantage of low gravity, allowing use of conventional materials: Lunar Space Elevator (LiftPort / Michael Laine) and Spaceline (Columbia University); Hybrid concept Sky Ladder (CALT / Wang Xiaojun) would utilize tethered spaceports attached to both Earth and Moon at 4% cost of rocket-based transit

 

Credits: NASA, Liftport, ISEC

Friday / 30 Aug 2019

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Moon-To-Lagrange Point Space Elevator Concept Deemed Feasible By Cambridge, Columbia Researchers

Dubbed ‘Spaceline’, Elevator Would Rely On Gravity Well 326,000 km Above Earth Surface To Maintain Rigidity Rather Than Centrifugal Force As In Conventional Space Elevator Concepts; Research Authors Emily Sandford (T) and Zephyr Penoyre Describe Mathematical And Physical Conditions As ‘Eminently Plausible’ For Construction Using Present Technology; Suggestion Of Ultra-High-Molecular-Weight Polyethylene Fiber Construction Material With 3600 MPa Tensile Strength Considering Cost And Manufacturing Scalability Constraints Of Exotics; Fuel Cost To Reach Lunar Surface Would Be Reduced By 2/3, Study Estimates; Paper Is To Be Submitted To IAA Journal Acta Astronautica

Credits: NASA, Cambridge University, Columbia University

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 25-28 May 2018

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ISDC 2018 Holding 2 Full Sessions On Moon Development

National Space Society Hosts 37th International Space Development Conference (ISDC) And ~300 Speakers In Los Angeles 24-27 May With Theme “Space Travel: Putting People Into Space”; Thursday Session And Dedicated Entire Saturday Moon Exploration Symposium Co-chaired By (L-R) Madhu Thangavelu & John Mankins Will Feature Clive Neal, Bernard Foing, Henk Rogers, Steve Durst, Kate Arkless Gray And 20 Others On Topics Including International Moon Village, Lunar Economics & Markets, Astronomy From Moon, Lunar Settlement, Commercial Space, Landers, Habitats, Future Directions

Credits: NSS, NASA, ESA, Moon Village Association, University of Notre Dame, ILOA

Friday / 1 May 2015

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Copernicus Space Science Program To Feature Space Elevators & GLXP Team Puli GLXP Exosphere

Exosphere Conference In Budapest, Hungary 13-31 July With Theme ‘An Endogenously-Powered Space Elevator’ To Focus On Modeling Various Power Supply Systems, Potential Markets Resulting From Reduced Cost Payload Delivery To / From Orbit, Asteroid & Moon Mining Industries; Hungary GLXP Team Puli Will Demonstrate Its Lunar Rover; Program Supported By PuliSpace Founder (BL) Dr. Tibór Pacher, Space Elevator Expert Larry Bartoszek (BC), Enrico Dini (BR) Of D-Shape Company Which Is Experimenting With 3D-Printed Lunar Bases

Image Credit: Exosphere, GLXP, Team Puli, D-Shape, NASA SSERVI

Wednesday / 11 February 2015

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Lunar Elevator May Facilitate
Moon Mining Industry

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Oregon L5 Society Hosting /Streaming Meeting ‘Mining The Moon With A Lunar Elevator’ On 19 Feb At Pearson Air Museum In Vancouver, Washington; Proponents Claim Lunar Elevator Can Be Built For US$800M With Available & Inexpensive Materials Like M5, Zylon, Dyneema; Proposal Envisions Near Side Elevator Anchored To Lunar Equator At Sinus Medii, Orbital Center Of Mass Of System To Be Situated At Earth-Moon L1 Or L2 (50,000 Km) From Moon Surface; Elevator Would Substantially Reduce Cost Of Lunar Surface Missions, Could Potentially Pay For Itself In Single Payload Cycle

Image Credit: The Technion, arcadiastreet.com, Oregon L5 Society

Wednesday / 8 October 2014

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USC Graduate Students Present Innovative Lunar Exploration Concepts

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Students In USC Astronautical Engineering Course With Prof Madhu Thangavelu Present Concepts For Future Human Solar System Exploration; Projects Evaluated By Faculty, Industry & NASA Experts; Proposals Include Maglev-Operated Lunar Space Elevator Attached To A Station At L1 Lagrange Point, Lunar Lava Tube Explorations With Spiderbots Capable Of Inverted Climbing With Advanced Sensors, Self-Propelled Inflatable Lunar Rovers Which Could Deploy Swarms Of Small Exploration Rovers

Image Credit: USC

Tuesday / 11 March 2014

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Moon-Based Space Elevator Key To Mining ProfitsLED031014

LiftPort Group Of Seattle, WA Urges LSEI (Lunar Space Elevator Infrastructure) Placement For Soft-Landing Equipment / Human Transport; Advisor Charles Radley(L) Notes Lunar Elevator Tech Could Place Lunar Mining Costs On Par With Terrestrial For Some Commodities; Jerome Pearson(R), President Of Star, Inc., States Lunar Elevator Can Be Made Of Existing Composites / Moon Testing Would Not Endanger Satellites In Earth Orbit / In Place By 2025

Image Credit: LiftPort, ISDC, VK.com

Friday / 16 August 2013

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Lunar Elevator Workshop At Space Elevator Conference

Lunar Elevator

2013 ISEC Space Elevator Conference To Be Held 23-25 Aug In Seattle WA Includes 3-Hour Lunar Elevator Workshop Led By Michael Laine Of LiftPort Group; Humans / Cargo Would Be Transported To Lagrange Point 1 Depot Via Rocket, Then Gently Lowered To Moon Surface Via Tether; Able To Transport 36 Humans To Moon Annually; Could Travel 1,000 Times Farther Than Space Shuttle For 1/10th Price

Image Credit: LiftPort Group, Newsweek

Weekend Edition / Fri-Mon 26-29 Apr 2013

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LiftPort Group Advancing After Kickstarter Success

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US$110,000 Kickstarter Campaign Giving LiftPort Group Renewed Momentum In Lunar Elevator Development; Founder Michael Laine Says Group Initiating Strategic Partnerships In Smaller Countries Including With Iceland Company CCP Games; Bought 7.25km Of Vectran String Rated At 1,500lbs For Initial Tests; LiftPort Business Model To Spin Off Technology Solutions & Commercialize Them While Working To Perfect Lunar Elevator System

Image Credit: LiftPort Group, deviantart.com

Thursday / 15 November 2012

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Lunar Space Elevator Aiming For 2020, Significant Steps Achieved

LiftPort Group With Kickstarter US$110K Relaunching “Tethered Towers”; Robot Reached 1.6-km Altitude In 2006 Demonstration; 2013 Study To Refine Technical Details; Aiming For Lunar Space Elevator By 2020, Reducing Lunar Missions To 1/10th Of Current Cost; Charles Radley Formerly Of Moon Society Says Elevator Can Be Built Today For US$800M And Capable Of “Infinite” 100-kg Payloads To / From Moon

Image Credit: LiftPort Group