SoylentNews is people
SoylentNews
A Canadian company, Thoth Technology Inc, has been awarded a patent for an inflatable space elevator.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/space-elevator-could-lift-people-12-miles-up-in-the-air/
A Canadian space company was recently awarded a patent for a space elevator that would reach about 12 miles (20 kilometers) above the Earth's surface.
...
According to Thoth Technology Inc., the company that was awarded the patent, the U.S. patent allows for an elevator that would be 30 percent cheaper than the fuel required by a conventional rocket. Also, the system would be fully reusable, further reducing costs, the company said.
"Astronauts would ascend to 20 km by electrical elevator," inventor Brendan Quine said in a statement. "From the top of the tower, space planes will launch in a single stage to orbit, returning to the top of the tower for refueling and reflight."
Original Submission
(Score: 1) by meustrus on Wednesday August 19 2015, @02:51AM
But in principle at least, they've presented an actual idea for building one that they doesn't list unobtainium on its parts list.
Maybe I'm just not looking hard enough, but what exactly is the plan? Wouldn't building a 12 mile high tower actually be significantly harder than building a bona-fide space elevator? Because then you're dealing with huge amounts of wind shear without any "centrifugal" force to keep it straight.
If there isn't at least one reference or primary source, it's not +1 Informative. Maybe the underused +1 Interesting?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday August 19 2015, @05:34PM
Sounds like they want to keep it rigid with internal air pressure. That may substantially reduce the materials needed.