International Space Elevator Consortium
March 2018 Newsletter
In this Issue
Editor’s Note
President’s Corner
NSS Affiliation
Architecture Note #16
Upcoming Events
Editor’s Note
Dear Fellow Space Elevator enthusiast,
In this edition, there is another Architecture Note about the technology readiness levels of the space elevator system. We also have the complete schedule for the Space Elevator portion of the NSS ISDC Conference in May in Los Angeles, CA.
Thank you for reading and lending your support in the development of Space Elevators!
As always, you will find notices of several open volunteer positions (a great way to help this project, even if you’re not a scientist or engineer) and a reminder that all ISEC reports are available FOR FREE in electronic (pdf) format at ISEC.org. There is plenty of work to be done!
If you want to help us make a space elevator happen, JOIN ISEC and get involved! A space elevator would truly revolutionize life on earth and open up the solar system and beyond to all of us.
Please don’t forget to LIKE US on Facebook, FOLLOW US on Twitter, and enjoy the photos and videos that we’ve posted on Flickr and YouTube, all under our Social Identity of ISECdotORG.
Thank you,
Mark Dodrill
ISEC Webmaster
President’s Corner
Hype for Space
March 1, 2018
In all my dreams about the future, I never saw a Tesla driving to Mars. What an imagination--Elon Musk selling his Teslas with the test launch of the first Falcon Heavy. Now we know what our tether climber must look like--red, sporty, space-suited driver, earth in the background, electric, with David Bowie on the radio.
But, getting a little bit serious, we now have to expand out thinking if we are going to stay in the game. The future space arena is now filled with dreamers, doers, and believers. We are no longer alone in those categories. We are no longer competing against big government. Now we have to compete against the tenacious commercial innovator. Think Alexander Graham Bell, the Wright Brothers, Elon Musk, and Jeff Bezos. We definitely have to ratchet up our game plan.
Keep Climbing my Friends!
Pete Swan
National Space Society (NSS) And Our Affiliation with Them
by Pete Swan
ISEC has a special relationship with NSS. Over the last five years, we have cooperated and developed common activities with their organization. The main similarity is that their mission matches ours:
NSS: Our Vision: People living and working in thriving communities beyond the Earth, and the use of the vast resources of space for the dramatic betterment of humanity.
ISEC: Our Vision: A world with inexpensive, safe, routine, and efficient access to space for the benefit of all mankind.
In addition, ISEC is made up of individuals and organizations from all around the world who share a vision of mankind in space. With these similarities, cooperation is smooth and worthwhile. At the present time there are two thrusts; we are on their website and we have them showing up on ours. In addition, we participate in their yearly conference and they join us in Seattle. This note is to remind each of the readers that there will be a space elevator track at their International Space Development Conference [May 26, 2018, Sheraton Gateway near LAX]. The space elevator track will include:
Architecture Note #16
The Preliminary Technology and Engineering Readiness Assessment of the Space Elevator Transportation System
by Michael A. Fitzgerald
Personal Prolog
This is an Architecture Note. It is the opinion of ISEC’s Chief Architect. It represents an effort to document ISEC’s ongoing science and engineering discussions, and is one of many to be published over time. Most importantly, it is a sincere effort to be the diary, or the chronicle, of the multitude of our technical considerations as we progress; along the pathway developing the Space Elevator.
The Space Elevator Transportation System
Ready? Let’s Talk!
Introduction
The Architecture Note #14 called for a delineation of the Transportation System v the Enterprise System. The next formal step will be to assess the Technology Readiness of each portion of the Transportation System. ISEC is about to complete a preliminary Technology Readiness Assessment and present substantiation of that assessment at the SEATTLE conference in August 2018.
As a preview, ISEC’s preliminary Technology and Engineering Readiness is summarized below. When one looks at all the various technologies and where they are in the Technology Readiness Level evaluations common to NASA projects, ISEC sees these preliminary assessments:
1. The Earth Port is buildable with today’s available technologies and engineering expertise.
2. The Headquarters / Primary Operations Center is buildable today.
3. The Tether Climber is similar to a today’s satellites, and ISEC sees no technology challenge to the construction of the Climber.
4. The GEO Node and Region technology needs are understood and ISEC assesses that the most of the GEO Node’s Transportation System components can be built now.
5. The Apex Anchor will be a challenge. Its role is key to the building of the Space Elevator, but it is neither a technological nor engineering obstacle. The Apex Anchor can support the Space Elevator Transportation System; and could be built in the near future.
6. The Tether material is the pacing item for the development of the Space Elevator. Currently, there are at least three viable materials that could mature into the needed “strong enough and long enough” material for a Space Elevator Transportation Tether; 100,000 kms long and strong enough to support multiple Climbers.
7. The other voiced challenge to the Space Elevator Transportation System faces is collision avoidance. ISEC, and others, have studied the issue, and collisions are much less likely than most think. Even so, the Space Elevator Transportation System will be advised of approaching debris; even debris smaller than a pebble – in sufficient time to avoid it. Further, the Space Elevator Transportation System will work with the FAA’s Space Traffic Management program ensuring that the Tether operates only within uniquely assigned space locations. This traffic management approach will keep other operating space systems safely separated from the Elevator.
I need to make some things clear
The preliminary TRA is for the Transportation System. The Conference theme does NOT say the Galactic Harbour is as ready. That is so because we lack any Technology Readiness Assessment for those things going on within the Enterprise. I will discuss the Technology Readiness of the Enterprise System in next month’s newsletter.
Because a major government agency (DARPA) has declared that technology development is needed for on orbit servicing, and parking lots, and other such things; our stance is that the Enterprise system is not yet ready (as the Transportation System).
Because industry is where the technology REALLY resides, ISEC needs the industry to openly discuss this topic. We need to get closer with key industry players; especially those whose future business activities are GEO centric. ISEC also needs to get those industry players to send their (very proprietary) Requests for Information to us. We also need these same industry players to accept us as business partners … soon.
In closing
It is time to start Verification and Validation activities! To prepare for that discussion; read the ISEC 2014 position paper; “Space Elevator Architecture and Roadmaps”
Fitzer
Upcoming Space Elevator Related Events:
National Space Society
International Space Development Conference
Los Angeles, CA, USA May 24-27 2018
Space Elevator Track
Web Site for more information: http://isdc.nss.org/2018/
International Space Elevator Consortium
Space Elevator Conference 2018
Seattle Museum of Flight
August 2018