Re: shuttle disaster (space elevators)

[John Hasler <john@dhh.gt.org>]

Gary Turner writes:
> If a low mass ribbon were used, wouldn't terminal velocity due to drag be
> too low have much negative effect?

Probably true of the lower portion, but maybe not of the upper, depending
on materials and design.  It seems to me, though, that the cable could be
made to have arbitrarily low volume density even in regions where the
linear density is high.  What does it matter what the diameter of the cable
is 15,000 miles up?  In fact making the cable voluminous should make it
more resistant to impact damage.

> I would hope so.  However, there are more stable cross section forms.

I don't assume any particular cross section.
-- 
John Hasler
john@dhh.gt.org (John Hasler)
Dancing Horse Hill
Elmwood, WI