A space elevator is a device constituted par a rope whose one extremity is fixed on Earth et the other to a mass in orbit (for instance an asteroid in geosynchronous orbit). By sling effect, the rope is well-tensed et some kind of “elevator shafts” can drag themselves all along. We can by this manner send, at a low cost, enormous mass in orbit.
More info: Article on Wikipedia
Examples :
- The Fountains of Paradise, by Arthur C. Clarke
- The Web Between the Worlds, by Charles Sheffield
Loading ...