Note to Sierra Space and NASA: Space Elevator Tubes and Gravity Testing

How do we put up a space elevator?

Inside the atmosphere there should be two stages. One will be firm, with the other retractable. Both would be designed and built by Sierra and filled with helium. The lower, retractable stage would be withdrawn in the event of major storm events that may damage the entire system, including the geostationary station. The entire tube structure will be inflatable. 

Whether the retractable portion is in a single segment, or multiple segments, is a design issue. The lower segment will be assisted by helicopter structures for controlled retraction to the intake station on the Pacific Ocean surface. The upper segment would retract to the upper stable portion.

Middle portions would be deflated, separated and parachute to the surface in case of emergency. Chutes would have glide functions and both autonomous and controlled functions for guidance toward recovery vessels outside the weather event.

Construction and reattachment would be accomplished with helicopter structures with rotors arrayed similar to current drone technology, with rotation units at each end, with structures at the mating point inward by one segment from mating points. Segments would be longer than those used for orbital stations. 

If necessary, these structures may be permanently in operation to support and control flexible sections and run by solar power generated (and stored) from the surface or by thorium reactors at the space based and surface portions.

Geostationary Spaceport Construction

Initial construction of the geostationary port will be in LEO. At final construction, station will be lifted with the center of gravity constantly at GSO, with the small boosts as modules are built down as others are built up from the surface.

Tube Options

The following tubes are possible:

Steam, with heating at higher altitudes

Gaseous Hydrogen and Oxygen

Vacuum (the universe is full of it).

Steam tubes would be heated at altitude where condensation occurs naturally. Where it freezes, steam could be transferred to an automated section where it is allowed to do so and be transferred to to an additional pneumatic tube (which may also begin at the surface), to travel as cylinders of ice.

Eventually, a larger pneumatic would be constructed to transport manned capsules and deflated and disassembled Sierra modules for construction.

At some point, to the tube stacks will require some form of magnetic shielding to repel micro-meteorites and space junk.

On the way up the elevator, there will be habitats at lunar and Martian gravity for training and acclimation purposes.

Benefits

Elevator tubes allow for more frequent interplanetary missions, boosting space stations to higher orbits and to Mars and the Gas and Ice Giants and for larger fuel and lox tanks for either ion drives or constant boost with chemical rockets.

Intensive reuse and refueling of SpaceX second stage for habitat modules or interplanetary flight.

Falcon and Falcon Heavy rocket size would be adjusted so core stage will always be returnable while second would have enough fuel to reach orbital refueling or interception by a transfer module for transport to an orbital refueling station.

Provides for inflation of Sierra modules with water to reduce ionizing radiation, first in habitat modules and then in certain laboratory modules. This will allow for greater water storage for human and agricultural use and for family housing on orbital and planetary research stations.

Centrifugal Gravity Test

A hard module will be required for docking, power production (or integration from solar arrays) and for flywheel to add or break (and capture energy from) spin.

A series of small diameter Sierra modules would be attached along two sides of one axis. At the end of each structure, there will be four to eight full size modules for crew attached at a single node for either one or two rings.

Axial be modules will be inflated one at a time (on each side) until an optimal distance and rotational speed is discovered for each gravitational be level.

Question: can inflated modules under spin support the mass at the ends, including changes of rotational velocity?

Eventually, should a rotational radius and speed prove viable, the follow-on station (or additions to the original station) would include a larger tube for a magnetic or pneumatic elevator, supplemented by smaller tubes for emergency egress. Additional axis would be added so that rings may be added with Lunar, Martian and Earth gravity habitation. Magnetic shielding will be added and air replaced with water, as above.

There will also be a large inflatable module attached to the center module for micro gravity acrobatics, with smaller laboratory modules as currently planned.

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