Space elevators have long captured the imagination of scientists and science fiction writers due to their potential to revolutionize space travel. While this concept is still in science fiction, an English architect believes building such a mechanism is possible.
Connecting Oceans to the Stars
Jordan William Hughes, a 30-year-old architect from Cumbria, has ambitious plans for a next-generation space elevator. His innovative visions earned him the prestigious Architecture and Innovation for Space Grand Prix Award from the Jacques Rogerie Foundation. He received a $11,000 (10,000 euros) prize for designing the Ascensio space elevator.
Hughes' concept features an elevator system where a space station is anchored beyond geostationary orbit. A tether is lowered through the atmosphere to connect with a mobile maritime launch platform. The platform would sail to ideal locations around the Earth's oceans to link up with the tether.
The space station would be 22,370 miles (36,000 kilometers) above Earth, more than 78 times higher than the International Space Station. Drones would climb up and down this cable like trains on a vertical track to launch payloads and passengers into space. There would be three drones for cargo and three with windows and oxygen for humans.
Hughes states the space station is more of a gateway outwards than a final destination. Once the passengers are in space, they can go anywhere they want.
To make the journey a once-in-a-lifetime experience, Hughes's designs are the absolute height of luxury, complete with zero gravity walkways, decadent swimming pools, and stunning views of the Earth. At the other end of the cable, a stunning floating island featuring landscape gardens and other attractions will be placed. This island will be strategically placed to make the elevator movable during storms and space debris.
Project Ascensio aims to replace traditional rockets, which are not only expensive but are also inefficient and have the potential to damage the environment. While his designs might not be achievable now, Hughes believes that space elevators have the potential to be the staple form of transport in the future.
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Engineering Challenges of a Space Elevator
The concept of using an orbiting space station to lower payloads on long tethers dates back over a century. In 1895, Russian scientist Konstantin Tsiolkovsky noted that an orbiting tower with a tether could provide free transport of payloads into space. After a century, American scientist Jerome Pearson outlined his designs for anchored space tethers and orbiting satellites.
At the heart of space elevator design is Earth's rotation to support the incredible lengths of cable needed. As payloads attached to the line ascend, the gravitational pull lessens while upward centrifugal forces strengthen.
As the counterweights extend the cable, the tension is kept to support the cable's weight to allow passengers to ascend. This means that the thickness and material of the cable must be carefully designed to withstand these immense forces.
Safety issues also pose further challenges. Meteoroid impacts and other debris must be avoided without cable failure. In addition, navigation hazards must be addressed through air traffic control restrictions and precision maneuvering capability.
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