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Aerovator



 
 
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  #1  
Old October 20th 06, 07:26 PM posted to sci.space.tech
Chance
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Posts: 1
Default Aerovator

I read about this idea on wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aerovator. Basically, it is a long
aerodynamic ribbon kept up by 20+ jet engines. Somehow, this could be
used to get into space, but It doesn't sound very practical to me,
though I don't claim to be an expert. I was curious what any of the
technically proficient people here thought.

  #2  
Old October 23rd 06, 04:05 PM posted to sci.space.tech
TC
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Posts: 7
Default Aerovator


Chance wrote:
I read about this idea on wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aerovator. Basically, it is a long
aerodynamic ribbon kept up by 20+ jet engines. Somehow, this could be
used to get into space, but It doesn't sound very practical to me,
though I don't claim to be an expert. I was curious what any of the
technically proficient people here thought.


Interesting idea.

I wonder what the effective fuel/mass-lauched ratio is.
The ISP of turbofan engines is something like 3600 seconds or more,
so it should take quite a lot less fuel to orbit a given payload than a

rocket.

Now if you could just "tame" a hurricane, you might be able to
locate the aerovator in in the eye of the hurricane and use the
"heat-engine" of the hurricane for propulsion!

Tom

  #3  
Old October 23rd 06, 04:29 PM posted to sci.space.tech
Joe Strout
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Posts: 972
Default Aerovator

In article . com,
"Chance" wrote:

I read about this idea on wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aerovator. Basically, it is a long
aerodynamic ribbon kept up by 20+ jet engines. Somehow, this could be
used to get into space, but It doesn't sound very practical to me,
though I don't claim to be an expert. I was curious what any of the
technically proficient people here thought.


That's an interesting idea I hadn't seen before. How it could be used
to get into space seems pretty obvious to me: you send a payload up the
ribbon, and then let it go off the end when its velocity vector is
pointing in the desired direction. It has orbital velocity already, so
it would need only a small burn to boost it into an orbit that won't hit
the aerovator the next time around.

I'm no expert either, but it seems like these guys have done their
homework. I'd classify it as "intriguing," and I hope more people in
the field take a look.
  #4  
Old November 1st 06, 07:50 PM posted to sci.space.tech
Herman Rubin
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Posts: 13
Default Aerovator

In article ,
Joe Strout wrote:
In article . com,
"Chance" wrote:


I read about this idea on wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aerovator. Basically, it is a long
aerodynamic ribbon kept up by 20+ jet engines. Somehow, this could be
used to get into space, but It doesn't sound very practical to me,
though I don't claim to be an expert. I was curious what any of the
technically proficient people here thought.


That's an interesting idea I hadn't seen before. How it could be used
to get into space seems pretty obvious to me: you send a payload up the
ribbon, and then let it go off the end when its velocity vector is
pointing in the desired direction. It has orbital velocity already, so
it would need only a small burn to boost it into an orbit that won't hit
the aerovator the next time around.


I'm no expert either, but it seems like these guys have done their
homework. I'd classify it as "intriguing," and I hope more people in
the field take a look.


Some time ago, one of the people here gave a talk in which
the proposal was a ribbon maintained by two ground stations
and two space stations. Once in place, its own speed would
maintain it, with only a little power needed by the stations.

This was claimed to give the equivalent of a space elevator
at a height of about 200 miles.
--
This address is for information only. I do not claim that these views
are those of the Statistics Department or of Purdue University.
Herman Rubin, Department of Statistics, Purdue University
Phone: (765)494-6054 FAX: (765)494-0558
  #5  
Old June 22nd 08, 04:47 AM
gogoer114 gogoer114 is offline
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Posts: 3
Wink Good writing

A good beginning is a half done! Keep up the good work! RunescapePower leveling, an Online Action RPG Age of conan A mix of a deep, story-driven single-player experience and a massive and brutal multiplayer, Making Runescape Money Guide, age of conan gold. If you don`t love yourself you can`t be yourself.
 




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