Cho-Ko-Nu Power
Chieftain
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- Feb 7, 2006
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- 7
Does the Space Elevator really exist?
Space Elevator
- Thread starter Cho-Ko-Nu Power
- Start date
lost_civantares
[Insert Title]
- Joined
- Aug 30, 2005
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- 1,803
It is an idea, theorized that it could help speed up production of things like the internation space station. This is one of the things that I like about civ4, it isn't just about history, it is unafraid to look ahead to what could happen
(like fusion power).
(like fusion power).
Ljdjr
Warlord
cbutcher318
Chieftain
- Joined
- Jan 15, 2006
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- 29
Funny how it is "unafraid" to look ahead to space elevators and spaceships that won't be built for a solid century at least but it is unable to have very much forsight in other areas.
Oh yah, down with the space ship victory.
Oh yah, down with the space ship victory.
MrCynical
Deity
The concept of a space elevator or similar orbital tower has been around for over a century, but it's still just an idea. We simply don't have a material strong enough to built the elevator out of at present. Carbon nanotubes might have the strength necessary, but they're currently more expensive than diamonds and we have no idea how to turn them into a cable. If that problem could be overcome it would be possible to build the elevator.
Fifty
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I actually heard that they are very close to taking the initial steps towards possibly making one!
I heard the Ethiopian government already built one, but they're keeping it a secret.
Yeah, I heard about that. They sent a man into space and did a spacewalk before China, Russia & the US.
Lockesdonkey
Liberal Jihadist
How about the launch of satellites around the earth, launch of a man in space, probes to the moon, rovers on the moon, manned moon mission, probes to mars, and finally space station platforms....
Lockesdonkey
Liberal Jihadist
It brings the game play to reality by launching progressive and successive probes to the moon and mars. There were some probes that failed to launch or the rocket exploded or did not orbit correctly. A fusion engine, habitat module, life support and thrusters that would operate all the way to alpha centauri is far from reality
It doesn't address your question but rather supports the down with the spaceship victory condition.
TheMeInTeam
If A implies B...
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- 27,995
It's a lot easier in areas with lower gravity. I read up on it myself a while back (like > a year ago) and from what I recall it would be easy from smaller bodies and probably possible even from the moon with what we've got now.
The tension must be incredible though. I forget how much it would be if they tried to make it on Earth, but if carbon nanotubes are the only thing that could even possibly maybe support it it's definitely huge
.This is the reason for the near equator limitation in civ.
Too bad the wonder sucks so hard it's seldom worth making.
My suggestion would be making the thing stronger, so that it's actually an appealing wonder.
Not quite; earliest ref to the idea I know is Yuri Artsutanov in 1910.
MrCynical
Deity
rysmiel said:
Konstantin Tsiolkovsky sketched out the basic idea for a tower reaching up to geostationary orbit in 1895. I think you're a little mixed up about Yuri Artsutanov - he wasn't even born till 1929. It's true he made a lot of refinements to the concept (a cable, rather than a compression structure), but that wasn't until the 1960s, and he certainly didn't come up with the idea of a tower up to space.
I've only just realised how old this thread is...
Hey people, I just read the investigation report on the space shuttle Columbia disaster on CNN's webpage and I think the space elevator should be replaced with a "space shuttle" wonder. Civ5 will most likely be released in 2009, if not then 2010. That will be the same time when the last remaining space shuttles missions are completed.
The space elevator doesn't even exist but is on Civ4 yet the space shuttles are going to be retired but aren't on Civ4. Go figure?!
The space elevator doesn't even exist but is on Civ4 yet the space shuttles are going to be retired but aren't on Civ4. Go figure?!
Onionsoilder
Reaver
- Joined
- Mar 19, 2007
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- 3,173
That is a horrible idea. Space Shuttles are expensive, dangerous, and time-consuming. That is why they are being retired. The whole idea behind the Space Elevator is to make it cheap and easy to transport things into orbit.
I would say if anything, we need more futuristic things in Civilization. Not science fiction things, mind you, but actual things that are in development right now. Things like antimatter power plants/weapons, metamaterials, and cloning. These things should all be developed and come to the market in 20-30 years.
Expensive, why don't you go to NASA's website and take a look at all those 3072x2098 pictures. The recent being STS-126. http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/shuttle/index.html
Scientific experiments in zero gravity is a marvel thanks to the space station. Natural observation of the behavior water & fire in space is fascinating. Just go to youtube and do a search.
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