emmetb wrote: That would be so cool. If we could have a space elevator! Of course that would be: the future of mankind/life on earth (in the galaxy? universe?) hanging by a nanofiber thread? 😉

Still, why not! And, at the same time, let’s do the directed panspermia thing, as an insurance policy.

By the way, is there such a thing as an “active” space elevator? I imagine the cable having thrusters at regular intervals to relieve the stress on the cable. FF would be perfect for this.

Sounds technically possible, though what mass the thrusters would use, I’m not sure. Also, it would be a “cute” computation problem, as the closer to the ground, the more the cable segment would want to speed up to stay in orbit, so the thruster exhaust would be mostly forward (i.e., pushing the cable back, slowing it down).

Some of the descriptions of elevators posit that the top of the structure is the station itself in geosychronous orbit, but I don’t think that’s possible. That’s the point where there is a perfect balance of speed and gravity, so the center of mass must be there, only achievable (I think) if either the station is HUGE (an orbited asteroid?), or the length of cable below tending to tug the station forward (faster) and down is balanced by an equal length above, tending to tug it upwards and back (slower).

Orbital mechanics is a beach!