Transcript The Space Elevator … building our future

Space Elevator for Future Prosperity
2010 Dasan Conference – Green Transportation System
by
Tai Sik Lee
Hanyang University, Korea
October 27, 2010
Space Elevator?
Efficient and safe transportation system between Earth and Space
Long anchored tether between Earth and Space
Space tourism
2
SE from Science Fiction
3
Principal of SE
* Source: Brad Edwards, The Space Elevator… building our future
4
Simple Experiment to Understand SE
Anchor
Earth
24h period circular motion
5
NASA Concepts of SE
• Capture an asteroid and
bring into Earth orbit
• Mine the asteroid for carbon
and extrude 10m diameter
cable
• Asteroid becomes
counterweight
• Maglev transport system
• Tall tower base
• Large system
• 300 years to never...
From Smitherman, 1999
* Source: Brad Edwards, The Space Elevator… building our future
6
Brad Edwards Proposed System
 First elevator: 20 ton cap
acity (13 ton payload)
 Constructed with existing
or near-term technology
 Cost (US$10B) and sche
dule (15 years)
 Operating costs of US$2
50/kg to any Earth orbit,
moon, Mars, Venus, Aste
roids
* Source: Brad Edwards, The Space Elevator… building our future
7
Technical Issues of SE Construction
1. What kind of SE concept?
2. Materials and structures for SE
3. Powering Climbers
4. Location of SE anchor
8
Space Elevator System
Space Elevator
Nanotube Ribbon
Woven Nanotubes
Deployment
Space Segment
Climber Technology
Ground Station
Design Requirements
Location
Nanotube Length
Spacecraft
Reliability
Ocean
Weaving Technology
Power Technology
Environment
Land
Hazard Survival
Ribbon Deploy
Missions
Composite
Ground Segment
Ribbon Wear
Ribbon Handling
Tension Control
Chemical Bonding
Ribbon Capture
Clamping
NT Distribution
Power Beaming
Diagnostics
Hazard Survival
Adding Ribbon
Repair
Security
Payload Operations
Railroad
Security
Maintenance
Ribbon Repair
Climber Refurb
* Source: Bryan Laubscher, Space Elevator Systems Level Analysis, 3rd Annual International Space Elevator Conference (2004)
9
Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs)
 Carbon nanotubes: measured at 200 GPa (54xKevlar)
– Sufficient to build the elevator
 Mitsui(Japan): 120 ton/yr CNT production, US$100/kg
– Sufficient to build the first elevator
 CNT composite fibers: 3-5% CNTs, 3 GPa, 5 km length
– Not strong enough yet but a viable plan is in
place to get there (Carbon Designs, Inc.)
5km continuous 1% CNT composite fiber
* Source: Brad Edwards, The Space Elevator… building our future
10
Initial Spacecraft
 Deployment
spacecraft built with
current technology
 Photovoltaic arrays
receive power from
Earth
 An MPD electric
propulsion moves
the spacecraft up to
high Earth orbit
 Four 20-ton
components are
launched on
conventional rockets
and assembled
* Source: Brad Edwards, The Space Elevator… building our future
11
Climbers
 Climbers built with
current satellite
technology
 Drive system built with
DC electric motors
 Photovoltaic array
(GaAs or Si) receives
power from Earth
 7-ton climbers carry 13ton payloads
 Climbers ascend at
200 km/hr
 8 day trip from Earth to
geosynchronous
altitude
* Source: Brad Edwards, The Space Elevator… building our future
12
Power Beaming
 Power is sent to deployment spacecraft and climb
ers by laser
 Solid-state disk laser produces kWs of power and
being developed for MWatts
 Mirror is the same design as conventional astrono
mical telescopes (Hobby-Eberly, Keck)
* Source: Brad Edwards, The Space Elevator… building our future
13
Anchor
 Anchor station is a mobile, ocean-going platfo
rm identical to ones used in oil drilling
 Anchor is located in eastern equatorial pacific,
weather and mobility are primary factors
* Source: Brad Edwards, The Space Elevator… building our future
14
Anchor Location
• Equator: Rotation velocity is higher than any other latitude (Slingshot effect),
requires less energy to deploy SE
• Considering natural event (earthquake, cyclone, and etc.), Maldives and Galapagos
Islands are one of the appropriate location
Maldives
<Cyclone Events>
Galapagos Islands
Maldives
<Earthquake Events>
Galapagos Islands
15
Technical Budget
Component
Launch costs to GEO
Ribbon production
Spacecraft
Climbers
Power beaming stations
Anchor station
Tracking facility
Other
Contingency (30%)
TOTAL
Cost Estimate (US$)
1.0B
400M
500M
370M
1.5B
600M
500M
430M
1.6B
~6.9B
Costs are based on operational systems or detailed engineering studies.
Additional expenses will be incurred on legal and regulatory issues. Total
construction should be around US$10B.
Recommend construction of a second system for redundancy: US$3B
* Source: Brad Edwards, The Space Elevator… building our future
16
SE Operating Budget
Annual Operating Budget per year in US$M
Climbers
Tracking system
Anchor station
Administration
Anchor maintenance
Laser maintenance
Other
0.2 - 2 each
10
10
10
5
20
30
TOTAL (50 launches)
135
This is ~US$250/kg operating costs to any destination.
* Source: Brad Edwards, The Space Elevator… building our future
17
Advantages
 Low operations costs - US$250/kg to LEO, GEO, Moon,
Mars, Venus or the asteroid belts
 No payload envelope restrictions
 No launch vibrations
 Safe access to space - no explosive propellants or dan
gerous launch or re-entry forces
 Easily expandable to large systems or multiple systems
 Easily implemented at many solar system locations
18
Applications
 Solar power satellites - economical, clean power for use on Earth
 Solar System Exploration - colonization and full development of the moon, Mars
and Earth orbit
 Telecommunications - enables extremely high performance systems
* Source: Brad Edwards, The Space Elevator… building our future
19
Next Steps
 Material development efforts are underway by private
industry
 Space elevator climber competition will demonstrate basic
concept
 Engineering development centers in the U.S., Spain and
Netherlands are under development
 Technical conferences continuing
 Greater public awareness
 Increased financial support being sought
20
Thank You
[email protected]
21