Does a space elevator have to be built at the equator?
To support the weight of a tether and payload, the object to be used as a “space anchor” must actually be in an equatorial orbit but at a greater than geostationary altitude. The whole point of a space elevator is to get a payload out of Earth’s gravity well.
How long would it take to go up a space elevator?
about 5 days
At the speed of a very fast car or train of 300 km/h (190 mph) it will take about 5 days to climb to geosynchronous orbit.
Would a space elevator be possible?
A space elevator is possible with today’s technology, researchers say (we just need to dangle it off the moon) Space elevators would dramatically reduce the cost of reaching space but have never been technologically feasible.
Why can’t you drill to the center of the Earth?
It’s the thinnest of three main layers, yet humans have never drilled all the way through it. Then, the mantle makes up a whopping 84\% of the planet’s volume. At the inner core, you’d have to drill through solid iron. This would be especially difficult because there’s near-zero gravity at the core.
Can space elevator be built?
While progress has been made in several respects, the concept still hovers on the edge of possibility. For some scientists and engineers, the enduring challenges are enough to conclude that a Space Elevator will never be built (at least here on Earth).
Is it possible to build a space elevator to Earth?
No. It is not even possible to build a space elevator to connect Earth to Earth orbit. The longest elevator cable so far possible is about 1km. As the cable must support their own weight, longer cables require new so far non existent materials.
Can the Moon be reached by a space elevator?
Anything anywhere else (which includes the Moon) cannot be reached by a space elevator, because the cable connecting the object to the ground would wind all the way around the Earth, at least once every time it orbits the Earth (in the case of the Moon, it would wind around the Earth about ten times per orbit,
Why are space elevators not built at the North Pole?
A space elevator with cables makes use of the centrifugal forces caused by the rotation of the earth. These forces’ vertical component is highest at the equator, while it is absent at the poles. If you did build a tower at the north pole, a payload would only gain height but no speed.
What is a space elevator with cables?
A space elevator with cables makes use of the centrifugal forces caused by the rotation of the earth. These forces’ vertical component is highest at the equator, while it is absent at the poles.