Comments on: Could we build a 20-kilometer-high space tower?

By: dan.gorski@gmail.com

dan.gorski@gmail.com — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 18:28:04 +0000

It didn’t work well, at all. Wind made it quite unreliable; especially near buildings.

By: Walter

Walter — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 16:15:28 +0000

the sky is the limit.

By: Qwerty Jones

Qwerty Jones — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 14:27:15 +0000

An air-floating platform – a flying island – would be a far more interesting concept, especially if filled with hydrogen in its honeycombed fire-suppressing structure.

If required it could easily be moved to another location, unlike a static tower.

By: kenneth lunkins

kenneth lunkins — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 13:37:04 +0000

how do you get the fuel up there in the first place?

By: SpottedMarley

SpottedMarley — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 12:42:27 +0000

If this were built, at some point, as with all technologies the push the envelope, there will be a spectacular accident, or worse, that takes place and then we can watch it over and over and over and over again for years on tv. Maybe then we can even forget about the world trade center movie we keep watching.

By: Glen Lincoln

Glen Lincoln — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 03:59:40 +0000

I am wondering the same thing, how could you “land an airplane,” and also, why? But of course it’s feasible to build, and I’d be in awe, but I still don’t know for what purpose, other than like someone else mentioned, a base for the space elevator. 1 more thing, assuming a conventional tower structure shape, how large an area might the base be, like, a mile square? Can’t wait to see it!!

By: Aaron

Aaron — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 00:07:20 +0000

Meh, we should just stick to the space elevator idea. Much more feasable, much more practical, and it would probably even be more economical. I’m not a structural engineer but a tower that high would probably curve ever so slightly (being in the stratosphere and all) and that poses a serious risk. Eh, but what do I know…

By: Mr.X

Mr.X — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 19:16:33 +0000

And? Why does he think these things.Right, he studied trends and build a model.

By: Chrispium

Chrispium — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 18:57:41 +0000

The height would be 30000 km above the land surface, also called the Geostationary orbit.

By: Chrispium

Chrispium — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 18:51:41 +0000

Nature is full of enzymes that break down cellulose.

By: Chrispium

Chrispium — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 18:51:07 +0000

World Trade Center 1993

The center survived.

By: Bri

Bri — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 18:26:21 +0000

Yes and if you look at the top of the page it says accelerating intelligence not past stagnation. Exponential growth not recalcitrant linear thinking. Mind boggling explosions of new possibilities not the same old same old.

By: Mr.X

Mr.X — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 17:56:15 +0000

I think the general premise of his work is: It is highly probable that past trends will continue.

By: Bri

Bri — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 17:51:05 +0000

The general premise of Ray exponential growth is that we are coming to the curve or knee in the graph. Singularity is used loosely to mean a point after which we can’t comprehend what will happen or be possible. The space shuttle first flew with computers about as strong as an old commodore. Once intelligent robotics enter the scene everything will change so fast it’s really hard to imagine. Reagan had a sign that said ” it can be done” on his desk and Obamas slogan is “yes we can”. I think they both say the same thing. We limit our selves by our perspectives.

By: Mortran

Mortran — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 16:25:28 +0000

It is absurd to fantasize about such a structure, when NASA isn’t even able to send an astronaut to the ISS.
Technology made a wrong turn long ago. If we want something like that we should have continued to use airships. They could easily dock at towers in a city without using airports. And they don’t need to be 20 km tall. The Eiffel Tower in Paris would do quite fine for example, This is a technology, which is 100 years old and it worked.

By: Bengt Robbert

Bengt Robbert — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 16:06:24 +0000

If it is high enough would it not begin to exert a pull somewhat like a ball on a string? What is that height? Why stop at a tower? Why not use it to build a Dyson sphere or Ring? As far as materials go I would suggest growing it with engineered cyanobacteria organically. At a certain height it will be a master lightning rod. It will also be able to create rain by pushing warm moist sea level air through its central core. Also it can serve as an air conditioner by reversing the flow. The intellectual and engineering challenges are enormous but our computational power is well up to the task.

By: Aaron

Aaron — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 15:44:35 +0000

20 kilometers is nothing. I don’t see how a plane could dock with a static structure either unless you’re talking about putting a runway on top.

By: Bri

Bri — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 15:22:30 +0000

It would be impossible to make with steel and concrete. We are pushing the limits on that tech. Nanocellulose might be suitable. Gorden you should check it out. Even stronger than Kelvar!

By: Bri

Bri — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 15:15:59 +0000

Spell check is ridiculous! I’m often in a hurry and don’t have time to monkey around with my mistakes. I see the same thing in Amara’s writings. The word was supposed to be gravity not fragments.

By: Toma

Toma — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 14:36:37 +0000

I’m wondering what happens when a terrorist puts some explosives into the basement of this space tower.

By: Gorden Russell

Gorden Russell — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 13:29:22 +0000

This will happen sometime in 20 or 30 years when self-assembling photo-voltaic nano-cells can take carbon dioxide out of the air and spin it into carbon nanotubes. It will take too much steel to build these towers in the near future. The world just won’t put that much steel into the project. There is no government willing to spend the money right now.

By: Bri

Bri — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 12:47:43 +0000

The space elevator ccounterweight would reduce fragments strain on the structure and reduce the chances for full catastrophic failure.

By: Bri

Bri — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 12:44:33 +0000

It would make a more feasible base for a space elevator.