Space Pier?

I've heard of the space elevator, but never the space pier. They both seem crazy.

A 62 mile tall, 186 mile long tower? Yeah, right.
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-space-pier.htm

Only slightly less outlandish is the 62,000 mile tether of a space elevator.
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-space-elevator.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_elevator

I think it's more likely we can master the manufacturing of carbon nanotubes than build a 62 mile-high, 186 mile-long free-standing structure that can withstand the weather, earthquakes, and the force of orbital launch. I hope the government is funding this properly, as it would definitely be far more cost effective, and safer, than blasting into orbit. Moreover, it's a scalable technology - the first nation to put ONE into orbit can use it to make more and bigger elevators.

I've never heard of that one either. It's basically a electro-magnetic railroad that is 100 KM off the ground. I guess it's as plausible as some other ideas that I've heard.

Sarge wrote:
I've never heard of that one either. It's basically a electro-magnetic railroad that is 100 KM off the ground. I guess it's as plausible as some other ideas that I've heard.

If the other ideas are 'star-trek'-type shields & transporters, then yeah 😉

I've been thinking on this a bit. It's certainly interesting in concept, but I can't fathom how we could build a structure of that strength and size. Imagine the huge amount of materials! Who is going up 30 miles and building anything? Guys working that far up would need space suits. How would the material get up there? I think they'd need carbon nanotube cables on any cranes they would use. Helicopters can't bring it up, they don't fly that high. They'd have to build a ramp or massive elevators in stages.

I think someone heard this would work on the moon and tried to determine how this could be done on earth. No problem there, but after these calculations were done, they should have said, 'Oh well." 🙂

The Space elevator I know a lot about (I get an Air and Space Mag.) The other thing I have never heard of until now. Sort of sounds over ambitious too me. Like that group who what to build a live onboard cruise ship with Schools, Shopping Mall, Nature Park, and an Airport.

as far as the carbon tubes, there are some Japanese types that are experimenting with building a handing city from carbon tubs due to carbons natrual want to attain a cylindrical formation. The tubes would be built almost as a continuous pour concrete structure is built, though with robots, the only catch is the robot for the size is not built yet, that and getting enough material to feed the beast. Essentially the 'hanging' city idea is built on a pyramidal formation with transport actually taking place inside the structural carbon tubes a sort of force public transit system if you will.. built by robots.

Internet link to a halfare site about it. I watched a rather in-depth look at it on the Discovery channel about super-structures and the future there-of.. interesting to say the least.

Cool link, Cold. The video is cool, and I like the Blade-Runner-esque look if the pyramid. I'd love to cruise by that building in my flying car at sunset 🙂