"E.R." wrote:

Michael Walsh wrote in message ...
However, in this particular discussion I was only discussing
the proposal for a space elevator and I believe that is far beyond
the bounds of our current technology. As I expressed in an
earlier part of that discussion, that one really requires some
advancement of the state-of-the-art technology. Right now
I doubt that anyone is going to pay for it, and I find it incredible
to believe that it could be done without NASA, the government
and some form of big business and certainly not without it
even being noticed.

Mike Walsh

I think the 'without it even being noticed' is a comment on a comment
I made earlier in the thread. If I may respond;

As to the 'not being noticed' bit what I was referring to was getting
the funding, the regulatory permission and etc. done .. in other
words, getting an offical blessing put on the project .. before the
institutions concerned can 'officially' formulate a respone i.e.
protect their turf i.e. kill the project. If the crowd building the
space elevator can get inside the vested interests Decsion-Action loop
that's a good start.

~er

What I meant was I don't think you can sneak something this
big through unnoticed. I think you can count on a lack of reaction
until it looks as if it isn't just someone's fantasy.

If you want to look at what happens on a smaller scale take a
look at how regulation goes with the X-Prize and the
sub-orbital tourist groups. Regulatory problems came right
out of the closet when the government suddenly perceived
that things might really happen.

This is different from the technical problems of building a
space elevator, but does describe things that will have to
be faced if it looks as if the space elevator may actually
be built.

Mike Walsh