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Space Elevators - Wouldn't Planetary Rotation Reel in the Space Station?
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I have a question about space elevators. With the rotation of a planet, what would prevent the scenario where the orbital space station is the fishing hook or weight, the elevator is the fishing line, and the planet is the fishing reel; and the planet is rotating wrapping the elevator around it and the space station down toward it?
space-elevators
asked 3 hours ago
DRY1994
143
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DRY1994 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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up vote
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I have a question about space elevators. With the rotation of a planet, what would prevent the scenario where the orbital space station is the fishing hook or weight, the elevator is the fishing line, and the planet is the fishing reel; and the planet is rotating wrapping the elevator around it and the space station down toward it?
space-elevators
asked 3 hours ago
DRY1994
143
New contributor
DRY1994 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
Please, one question per question. It is perfectly OK, even encouraged, to make your questions into a series. It is not allowed to have more than one question per question post, and it usually causes questions to be put on hold. My advice - select one specific thing you need and ask about that. See how it goes, and then ask second one. As usual, take the tour when you have a moment, and see help center, especially asking section if you need more info about how this site works.
– Mołot
3 hours ago
This is a physics question, and a simple one at that. You can easily look it up. Space Elevators aren't that fictional, they are a fairly well understood and not terribly difficult thought experiment, "what if we had a really strong rope?".
– Nobody
2 hours ago
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up vote
1
down vote
favorite
up vote
1
down vote
favorite
I have a question about space elevators. With the rotation of a planet, what would prevent the scenario where the orbital space station is the fishing hook or weight, the elevator is the fishing line, and the planet is the fishing reel; and the planet is rotating wrapping the elevator around it and the space station down toward it?
space-elevators
asked 3 hours ago
DRY1994
143
New contributor
DRY1994 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
I have a question about space elevators. With the rotation of a planet, what would prevent the scenario where the orbital space station is the fishing hook or weight, the elevator is the fishing line, and the planet is the fishing reel; and the planet is rotating wrapping the elevator around it and the space station down toward it?
space-elevators
space-elevators
asked 3 hours ago
DRY1994
143
New contributor
DRY1994 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 3 hours ago
DRY1994
143
New contributor
DRY1994 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
edited 3 hours ago
asked 3 hours ago
DRY1994
143
New contributor
DRY1994 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 3 hours ago
DRY1994
143
asked 3 hours ago
DRY1994
143
143
New contributor
DRY1994 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
New contributor
DRY1994 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
DRY1994 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
Please, one question per question. It is perfectly OK, even encouraged, to make your questions into a series. It is not allowed to have more than one question per question post, and it usually causes questions to be put on hold. My advice - select one specific thing you need and ask about that. See how it goes, and then ask second one. As usual, take the tour when you have a moment, and see help center, especially asking section if you need more info about how this site works.
– Mołot
3 hours ago
This is a physics question, and a simple one at that. You can easily look it up. Space Elevators aren't that fictional, they are a fairly well understood and not terribly difficult thought experiment, "what if we had a really strong rope?".
– Nobody
2 hours ago
add a comment |Â
Please, one question per question. It is perfectly OK, even encouraged, to make your questions into a series. It is not allowed to have more than one question per question post, and it usually causes questions to be put on hold. My advice - select one specific thing you need and ask about that. See how it goes, and then ask second one. As usual, take the tour when you have a moment, and see help center, especially asking section if you need more info about how this site works.
– Mołot
3 hours ago
This is a physics question, and a simple one at that. You can easily look it up. Space Elevators aren't that fictional, they are a fairly well understood and not terribly difficult thought experiment, "what if we had a really strong rope?".
– Nobody
2 hours ago
Please, one question per question. It is perfectly OK, even encouraged, to make your questions into a series. It is not allowed to have more than one question per question post, and it usually causes questions to be put on hold. My advice - select one specific thing you need and ask about that. See how it goes, and then ask second one. As usual, take the tour when you have a moment, and see help center, especially asking section if you need more info about how this site works.
– Mołot
3 hours ago
Please, one question per question. It is perfectly OK, even encouraged, to make your questions into a series. It is not allowed to have more than one question per question post, and it usually causes questions to be put on hold. My advice - select one specific thing you need and ask about that. See how it goes, and then ask second one. As usual, take the tour when you have a moment, and see help center, especially asking section if you need more info about how this site works.
– Mołot
3 hours ago
This is a physics question, and a simple one at that. You can easily look it up. Space Elevators aren't that fictional, they are a fairly well understood and not terribly difficult thought experiment, "what if we had a really strong rope?".
– Nobody
2 hours ago
This is a physics question, and a simple one at that. You can easily look it up. Space Elevators aren't that fictional, they are a fairly well understood and not terribly difficult thought experiment, "what if we had a really strong rope?".
– Nobody
2 hours ago
add a comment |Â
4 Answers
4
active
oldest
votes
up vote
4
down vote
The way space elevators work is basically a function of centripetal force. Not unlike a child's skipping ball:
Image courtesy ShopTV
We have the same deal. The Earth is rotating (representing the ring around the child's ankle). The elevator is the string attached to the ring. The space station is the ball at the end of the string. Why doesn't the string reel in like a fishing reel? For the same reason it doesn't reel in on the child's leg. Because the "ring" (the planet Earth), the string, and the space station are all moving at the same rotational speed.
But... heh heh.... what could make it reel in?
Let's introduce drag to the space station. In normal space, there isn't any drag.1 So the elevtator and space station move at the same rotational speed as the Earth and happily stay in place.
But let's introduce something, like the the ancient concept of an aether that the space station must be pushed through. In this case, the Earth would reel in the space station like a fishing reel because the station is now moving slower than the Earth's rotational speed — and since everything's attached, rather than acting like a child's skipping ball, now we have a yo-yo in its upward motion.
So, the reel2 question is: what would cause drag on your space station? Is there a flaw in the planet's magnetosphere that allows solar wind to affect the station? Is the hand of god holding it back? Did something hit it? The possibilities are endless — but without an infinitely3 powerful thruster system to reposition and balance the rotational speed, there will always be something that can cause the elevator to reel in like a fishing reel.
1 Well... there is. It's complicated. But for the purposes of this question it's easier to say there isn't. Unless you get into the finer points of orbital mechanics and argue over the answer to "what's drag?" there isn't any drag in normal space. So say we all.
2 I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself. :-)
3 The is the philisophical concept of infinite, not the mathematical concept of infinite. You only need enough thrusting power to correct after something hit you that wasn't strong enough to rip you off the tether. Still, it's an awful lot of thrusting power and unlikely to be built due to expense. In other words, it's a great idea for a story.
answered 3 hours ago
JBH
34.3k581165
Funny how geostationary satellites can keep station for decades without infinitely powerful thrusters... Space elevators, like all things built by mortal men, will have a finite service life. They don't need to stay puft forever.
– AlexP
1 hour ago
@AlexP nothing hits them. Please bear in mind that I was specifically creating circumstances that would justify reeling in an elevator (so to speak).
– JBH
34 mins ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
1
down vote
Fishing hook and line are affected by gravity, and the friction of wherever they are (even air has friction).
Space has no friction. Space station is in orbit, meaning it will stay there even if there is no elevator. The cable is not in orbit, it is hanging down from the station, and pulling it down. That's why the station will need to have a counterweight above it, to balance out the weight of the cable.
As a crude and imperfect analogy, take a small weight on a string (e.g. a yo-yo, or a phone charger), and spin it around. The weight is the station, the wire is the cable, and you are the planet. Is it wrapping around you?
edited 3 hours ago
Tim B♦
55.4k22154272
answered 3 hours ago
Bald Bear
3,808513
add a comment |Â
up vote
1
down vote
Most stuff you wanted to know about space elevators can be found on the Wikipedia page.
The upshot of all current designs that employ a cable held in place by tension alone is that you need a cable and counterweight with center of mass at or slightly above geostationary orbit. In geostationary orbit, a space station located there will be in free fall at always the same location above the surface because the speed of the Earth's rotation and the speed at which the space station at GEO travel match up exactly. On the tether below GEO you experience a net force towards the ground, on the tether above GEO you experience a net force upward towards the counterweight.
The counterweight, on the other hand, moves faster than a free fall orbit would. You can house a space station there too which has the benefit of slinging stuff near or beyond Earth's escape velocity into interplanetary space when released from the space station, depending on the distance between counterweight and geosynchronous orbit.
answered 2 hours ago
GretchenV
2115
add a comment |Â
up vote
0
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The answer is: careful engineering of such space elevator.
"Fishing reel" scenario would may realize if space elevator's counterweight doesn't have enough speed, and instead of being geo- (or planet-) stationary is is beginning to rotate. So, its altitude will be lowering, and the space elevator's line would start accumulating on the ground.
Unless deceleration of the counterweight is very controlled so that its stationary position is more or less maintained, the strain on the line would likely became so strong that it will snap before it's lowered to the ground.
answered 3 hours ago
Alexander
16.2k42764
add a comment |Â
4 Answers
4
active
oldest
votes
4 Answers
4
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
up vote
4
down vote
The way space elevators work is basically a function of centripetal force. Not unlike a child's skipping ball:
Image courtesy ShopTV
We have the same deal. The Earth is rotating (representing the ring around the child's ankle). The elevator is the string attached to the ring. The space station is the ball at the end of the string. Why doesn't the string reel in like a fishing reel? For the same reason it doesn't reel in on the child's leg. Because the "ring" (the planet Earth), the string, and the space station are all moving at the same rotational speed.
But... heh heh.... what could make it reel in?
Let's introduce drag to the space station. In normal space, there isn't any drag.1 So the elevtator and space station move at the same rotational speed as the Earth and happily stay in place.
But let's introduce something, like the the ancient concept of an aether that the space station must be pushed through. In this case, the Earth would reel in the space station like a fishing reel because the station is now moving slower than the Earth's rotational speed — and since everything's attached, rather than acting like a child's skipping ball, now we have a yo-yo in its upward motion.
So, the reel2 question is: what would cause drag on your space station? Is there a flaw in the planet's magnetosphere that allows solar wind to affect the station? Is the hand of god holding it back? Did something hit it? The possibilities are endless — but without an infinitely3 powerful thruster system to reposition and balance the rotational speed, there will always be something that can cause the elevator to reel in like a fishing reel.
1 Well... there is. It's complicated. But for the purposes of this question it's easier to say there isn't. Unless you get into the finer points of orbital mechanics and argue over the answer to "what's drag?" there isn't any drag in normal space. So say we all.
2 I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself. :-)
3 The is the philisophical concept of infinite, not the mathematical concept of infinite. You only need enough thrusting power to correct after something hit you that wasn't strong enough to rip you off the tether. Still, it's an awful lot of thrusting power and unlikely to be built due to expense. In other words, it's a great idea for a story.
answered 3 hours ago
JBH
34.3k581165
Funny how geostationary satellites can keep station for decades without infinitely powerful thrusters... Space elevators, like all things built by mortal men, will have a finite service life. They don't need to stay puft forever.
– AlexP
1 hour ago
@AlexP nothing hits them. Please bear in mind that I was specifically creating circumstances that would justify reeling in an elevator (so to speak).
– JBH
34 mins ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
4
down vote
The way space elevators work is basically a function of centripetal force. Not unlike a child's skipping ball:
Image courtesy ShopTV
We have the same deal. The Earth is rotating (representing the ring around the child's ankle). The elevator is the string attached to the ring. The space station is the ball at the end of the string. Why doesn't the string reel in like a fishing reel? For the same reason it doesn't reel in on the child's leg. Because the "ring" (the planet Earth), the string, and the space station are all moving at the same rotational speed.
But... heh heh.... what could make it reel in?
Let's introduce drag to the space station. In normal space, there isn't any drag.1 So the elevtator and space station move at the same rotational speed as the Earth and happily stay in place.
But let's introduce something, like the the ancient concept of an aether that the space station must be pushed through. In this case, the Earth would reel in the space station like a fishing reel because the station is now moving slower than the Earth's rotational speed — and since everything's attached, rather than acting like a child's skipping ball, now we have a yo-yo in its upward motion.
So, the reel2 question is: what would cause drag on your space station? Is there a flaw in the planet's magnetosphere that allows solar wind to affect the station? Is the hand of god holding it back? Did something hit it? The possibilities are endless — but without an infinitely3 powerful thruster system to reposition and balance the rotational speed, there will always be something that can cause the elevator to reel in like a fishing reel.
1 Well... there is. It's complicated. But for the purposes of this question it's easier to say there isn't. Unless you get into the finer points of orbital mechanics and argue over the answer to "what's drag?" there isn't any drag in normal space. So say we all.
2 I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself. :-)
3 The is the philisophical concept of infinite, not the mathematical concept of infinite. You only need enough thrusting power to correct after something hit you that wasn't strong enough to rip you off the tether. Still, it's an awful lot of thrusting power and unlikely to be built due to expense. In other words, it's a great idea for a story.
answered 3 hours ago
JBH
34.3k581165
Funny how geostationary satellites can keep station for decades without infinitely powerful thrusters... Space elevators, like all things built by mortal men, will have a finite service life. They don't need to stay puft forever.
– AlexP
1 hour ago
@AlexP nothing hits them. Please bear in mind that I was specifically creating circumstances that would justify reeling in an elevator (so to speak).
– JBH
34 mins ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
4
down vote
up vote
4
down vote
The way space elevators work is basically a function of centripetal force. Not unlike a child's skipping ball:
Image courtesy ShopTV
We have the same deal. The Earth is rotating (representing the ring around the child's ankle). The elevator is the string attached to the ring. The space station is the ball at the end of the string. Why doesn't the string reel in like a fishing reel? For the same reason it doesn't reel in on the child's leg. Because the "ring" (the planet Earth), the string, and the space station are all moving at the same rotational speed.
But... heh heh.... what could make it reel in?
Let's introduce drag to the space station. In normal space, there isn't any drag.1 So the elevtator and space station move at the same rotational speed as the Earth and happily stay in place.
But let's introduce something, like the the ancient concept of an aether that the space station must be pushed through. In this case, the Earth would reel in the space station like a fishing reel because the station is now moving slower than the Earth's rotational speed — and since everything's attached, rather than acting like a child's skipping ball, now we have a yo-yo in its upward motion.
So, the reel2 question is: what would cause drag on your space station? Is there a flaw in the planet's magnetosphere that allows solar wind to affect the station? Is the hand of god holding it back? Did something hit it? The possibilities are endless — but without an infinitely3 powerful thruster system to reposition and balance the rotational speed, there will always be something that can cause the elevator to reel in like a fishing reel.
1 Well... there is. It's complicated. But for the purposes of this question it's easier to say there isn't. Unless you get into the finer points of orbital mechanics and argue over the answer to "what's drag?" there isn't any drag in normal space. So say we all.
2 I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself. :-)
3 The is the philisophical concept of infinite, not the mathematical concept of infinite. You only need enough thrusting power to correct after something hit you that wasn't strong enough to rip you off the tether. Still, it's an awful lot of thrusting power and unlikely to be built due to expense. In other words, it's a great idea for a story.
answered 3 hours ago
JBH
34.3k581165
The way space elevators work is basically a function of centripetal force. Not unlike a child's skipping ball:
Image courtesy ShopTV
We have the same deal. The Earth is rotating (representing the ring around the child's ankle). The elevator is the string attached to the ring. The space station is the ball at the end of the string. Why doesn't the string reel in like a fishing reel? For the same reason it doesn't reel in on the child's leg. Because the "ring" (the planet Earth), the string, and the space station are all moving at the same rotational speed.
But... heh heh.... what could make it reel in?
Let's introduce drag to the space station. In normal space, there isn't any drag.1 So the elevtator and space station move at the same rotational speed as the Earth and happily stay in place.
But let's introduce something, like the the ancient concept of an aether that the space station must be pushed through. In this case, the Earth would reel in the space station like a fishing reel because the station is now moving slower than the Earth's rotational speed — and since everything's attached, rather than acting like a child's skipping ball, now we have a yo-yo in its upward motion.
So, the reel2 question is: what would cause drag on your space station? Is there a flaw in the planet's magnetosphere that allows solar wind to affect the station? Is the hand of god holding it back? Did something hit it? The possibilities are endless — but without an infinitely3 powerful thruster system to reposition and balance the rotational speed, there will always be something that can cause the elevator to reel in like a fishing reel.
1 Well... there is. It's complicated. But for the purposes of this question it's easier to say there isn't. Unless you get into the finer points of orbital mechanics and argue over the answer to "what's drag?" there isn't any drag in normal space. So say we all.
2 I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself. :-)
3 The is the philisophical concept of infinite, not the mathematical concept of infinite. You only need enough thrusting power to correct after something hit you that wasn't strong enough to rip you off the tether. Still, it's an awful lot of thrusting power and unlikely to be built due to expense. In other words, it's a great idea for a story.
answered 3 hours ago
JBH
34.3k581165
answered 3 hours ago
JBH
34.3k581165
answered 3 hours ago
JBH
34.3k581165
answered 3 hours ago
JBH
34.3k581165
34.3k581165
Funny how geostationary satellites can keep station for decades without infinitely powerful thrusters... Space elevators, like all things built by mortal men, will have a finite service life. They don't need to stay puft forever.
– AlexP
1 hour ago
@AlexP nothing hits them. Please bear in mind that I was specifically creating circumstances that would justify reeling in an elevator (so to speak).
– JBH
34 mins ago
add a comment |Â
Funny how geostationary satellites can keep station for decades without infinitely powerful thrusters... Space elevators, like all things built by mortal men, will have a finite service life. They don't need to stay puft forever.
– AlexP
1 hour ago
@AlexP nothing hits them. Please bear in mind that I was specifically creating circumstances that would justify reeling in an elevator (so to speak).
– JBH
34 mins ago
Funny how geostationary satellites can keep station for decades without infinitely powerful thrusters... Space elevators, like all things built by mortal men, will have a finite service life. They don't need to stay puft forever.
– AlexP
1 hour ago
Funny how geostationary satellites can keep station for decades without infinitely powerful thrusters... Space elevators, like all things built by mortal men, will have a finite service life. They don't need to stay puft forever.
– AlexP
1 hour ago
@AlexP nothing hits them. Please bear in mind that I was specifically creating circumstances that would justify reeling in an elevator (so to speak).
– JBH
34 mins ago
@AlexP nothing hits them. Please bear in mind that I was specifically creating circumstances that would justify reeling in an elevator (so to speak).
– JBH
34 mins ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
1
down vote
Fishing hook and line are affected by gravity, and the friction of wherever they are (even air has friction).
Space has no friction. Space station is in orbit, meaning it will stay there even if there is no elevator. The cable is not in orbit, it is hanging down from the station, and pulling it down. That's why the station will need to have a counterweight above it, to balance out the weight of the cable.
As a crude and imperfect analogy, take a small weight on a string (e.g. a yo-yo, or a phone charger), and spin it around. The weight is the station, the wire is the cable, and you are the planet. Is it wrapping around you?
edited 3 hours ago
Tim B♦
55.4k22154272
answered 3 hours ago
Bald Bear
3,808513
add a comment |Â
up vote
1
down vote
Fishing hook and line are affected by gravity, and the friction of wherever they are (even air has friction).
Space has no friction. Space station is in orbit, meaning it will stay there even if there is no elevator. The cable is not in orbit, it is hanging down from the station, and pulling it down. That's why the station will need to have a counterweight above it, to balance out the weight of the cable.
As a crude and imperfect analogy, take a small weight on a string (e.g. a yo-yo, or a phone charger), and spin it around. The weight is the station, the wire is the cable, and you are the planet. Is it wrapping around you?
edited 3 hours ago
Tim B♦
55.4k22154272
answered 3 hours ago
Bald Bear
3,808513
add a comment |Â
up vote
1
down vote
up vote
1
down vote
Fishing hook and line are affected by gravity, and the friction of wherever they are (even air has friction).
Space has no friction. Space station is in orbit, meaning it will stay there even if there is no elevator. The cable is not in orbit, it is hanging down from the station, and pulling it down. That's why the station will need to have a counterweight above it, to balance out the weight of the cable.
As a crude and imperfect analogy, take a small weight on a string (e.g. a yo-yo, or a phone charger), and spin it around. The weight is the station, the wire is the cable, and you are the planet. Is it wrapping around you?
edited 3 hours ago
Tim B♦
55.4k22154272
answered 3 hours ago
Bald Bear
3,808513
Fishing hook and line are affected by gravity, and the friction of wherever they are (even air has friction).
Space has no friction. Space station is in orbit, meaning it will stay there even if there is no elevator. The cable is not in orbit, it is hanging down from the station, and pulling it down. That's why the station will need to have a counterweight above it, to balance out the weight of the cable.
As a crude and imperfect analogy, take a small weight on a string (e.g. a yo-yo, or a phone charger), and spin it around. The weight is the station, the wire is the cable, and you are the planet. Is it wrapping around you?
edited 3 hours ago
Tim B♦
55.4k22154272
answered 3 hours ago
Bald Bear
3,808513
edited 3 hours ago
Tim B♦
55.4k22154272
edited 3 hours ago
Tim B♦
55.4k22154272
edited 3 hours ago
Tim B♦
55.4k22154272
55.4k22154272
answered 3 hours ago
Bald Bear
3,808513
answered 3 hours ago
Bald Bear
3,808513
answered 3 hours ago
Bald Bear
3,808513
3,808513
add a comment |Â
add a comment |Â
up vote
1
down vote
Most stuff you wanted to know about space elevators can be found on the Wikipedia page.
The upshot of all current designs that employ a cable held in place by tension alone is that you need a cable and counterweight with center of mass at or slightly above geostationary orbit. In geostationary orbit, a space station located there will be in free fall at always the same location above the surface because the speed of the Earth's rotation and the speed at which the space station at GEO travel match up exactly. On the tether below GEO you experience a net force towards the ground, on the tether above GEO you experience a net force upward towards the counterweight.
The counterweight, on the other hand, moves faster than a free fall orbit would. You can house a space station there too which has the benefit of slinging stuff near or beyond Earth's escape velocity into interplanetary space when released from the space station, depending on the distance between counterweight and geosynchronous orbit.
answered 2 hours ago
GretchenV
2115
add a comment |Â
up vote
1
down vote
Most stuff you wanted to know about space elevators can be found on the Wikipedia page.
The upshot of all current designs that employ a cable held in place by tension alone is that you need a cable and counterweight with center of mass at or slightly above geostationary orbit. In geostationary orbit, a space station located there will be in free fall at always the same location above the surface because the speed of the Earth's rotation and the speed at which the space station at GEO travel match up exactly. On the tether below GEO you experience a net force towards the ground, on the tether above GEO you experience a net force upward towards the counterweight.
The counterweight, on the other hand, moves faster than a free fall orbit would. You can house a space station there too which has the benefit of slinging stuff near or beyond Earth's escape velocity into interplanetary space when released from the space station, depending on the distance between counterweight and geosynchronous orbit.
answered 2 hours ago
GretchenV
2115
add a comment |Â
up vote
1
down vote
up vote
1
down vote
Most stuff you wanted to know about space elevators can be found on the Wikipedia page.
The upshot of all current designs that employ a cable held in place by tension alone is that you need a cable and counterweight with center of mass at or slightly above geostationary orbit. In geostationary orbit, a space station located there will be in free fall at always the same location above the surface because the speed of the Earth's rotation and the speed at which the space station at GEO travel match up exactly. On the tether below GEO you experience a net force towards the ground, on the tether above GEO you experience a net force upward towards the counterweight.
The counterweight, on the other hand, moves faster than a free fall orbit would. You can house a space station there too which has the benefit of slinging stuff near or beyond Earth's escape velocity into interplanetary space when released from the space station, depending on the distance between counterweight and geosynchronous orbit.
answered 2 hours ago
GretchenV
2115
Most stuff you wanted to know about space elevators can be found on the Wikipedia page.
The upshot of all current designs that employ a cable held in place by tension alone is that you need a cable and counterweight with center of mass at or slightly above geostationary orbit. In geostationary orbit, a space station located there will be in free fall at always the same location above the surface because the speed of the Earth's rotation and the speed at which the space station at GEO travel match up exactly. On the tether below GEO you experience a net force towards the ground, on the tether above GEO you experience a net force upward towards the counterweight.
The counterweight, on the other hand, moves faster than a free fall orbit would. You can house a space station there too which has the benefit of slinging stuff near or beyond Earth's escape velocity into interplanetary space when released from the space station, depending on the distance between counterweight and geosynchronous orbit.
answered 2 hours ago
GretchenV
2115
answered 2 hours ago
GretchenV
2115
answered 2 hours ago
GretchenV
2115
answered 2 hours ago
GretchenV
2115
2115
add a comment |Â
add a comment |Â
up vote
0
down vote
The answer is: careful engineering of such space elevator.
"Fishing reel" scenario would may realize if space elevator's counterweight doesn't have enough speed, and instead of being geo- (or planet-) stationary is is beginning to rotate. So, its altitude will be lowering, and the space elevator's line would start accumulating on the ground.
Unless deceleration of the counterweight is very controlled so that its stationary position is more or less maintained, the strain on the line would likely became so strong that it will snap before it's lowered to the ground.
answered 3 hours ago
Alexander
16.2k42764
add a comment |Â
up vote
0
down vote
The answer is: careful engineering of such space elevator.
"Fishing reel" scenario would may realize if space elevator's counterweight doesn't have enough speed, and instead of being geo- (or planet-) stationary is is beginning to rotate. So, its altitude will be lowering, and the space elevator's line would start accumulating on the ground.
Unless deceleration of the counterweight is very controlled so that its stationary position is more or less maintained, the strain on the line would likely became so strong that it will snap before it's lowered to the ground.
answered 3 hours ago
Alexander
16.2k42764
add a comment |Â
up vote
0
down vote
up vote
0
down vote
The answer is: careful engineering of such space elevator.
"Fishing reel" scenario would may realize if space elevator's counterweight doesn't have enough speed, and instead of being geo- (or planet-) stationary is is beginning to rotate. So, its altitude will be lowering, and the space elevator's line would start accumulating on the ground.
Unless deceleration of the counterweight is very controlled so that its stationary position is more or less maintained, the strain on the line would likely became so strong that it will snap before it's lowered to the ground.
answered 3 hours ago
Alexander
16.2k42764
The answer is: careful engineering of such space elevator.
"Fishing reel" scenario would may realize if space elevator's counterweight doesn't have enough speed, and instead of being geo- (or planet-) stationary is is beginning to rotate. So, its altitude will be lowering, and the space elevator's line would start accumulating on the ground.
Unless deceleration of the counterweight is very controlled so that its stationary position is more or less maintained, the strain on the line would likely became so strong that it will snap before it's lowered to the ground.
answered 3 hours ago
Alexander
16.2k42764
answered 3 hours ago
Alexander
16.2k42764
answered 3 hours ago
Alexander
16.2k42764
answered 3 hours ago
Alexander
16.2k42764
16.2k42764
add a comment |Â
add a comment |Â
DRY1994 is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
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Please, one question per question. It is perfectly OK, even encouraged, to make your questions into a series. It is not allowed to have more than one question per question post, and it usually causes questions to be put on hold. My advice - select one specific thing you need and ask about that. See how it goes, and then ask second one. As usual, take the tour when you have a moment, and see help center, especially asking section if you need more info about how this site works.
– Mołot
3 hours ago
This is a physics question, and a simple one at that. You can easily look it up. Space Elevators aren't that fictional, they are a fairly well understood and not terribly difficult thought experiment, "what if we had a really strong rope?".
– Nobody
2 hours ago