UpLift - Revision history

Hkhenson: Added pointers

2025-03-02T18:27:51Z

Added pointers

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:27, 2 March 2025
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	Jack and Nina regained friends left behind when Camp Nickel was cut loose of the junkyard late in 2028. There was no choice about the date because asteroid 1986 DA swung closest to earth's orbit in 2028. Anything more than a minimum energy Hohmann transfer orbit would have been too expensive. There was a lot of mass in the processing plant, the twenty GW power plant, and the habitat. Both they and their friends left at GEO had become better than average at the old skill of writing letters. The mining camp was too far away for phone conversations to work. The asteroid swung out further than Mars taking a little over four and a half years to come back to 1.1 AU. <br><br>		Jack and Nina regained friends left behind when Camp Nickel was cut loose of the junkyard late in 2028. There was no choice about the date because asteroid 1986 DA swung closest to earth's orbit in 2028. Anything more than a minimum energy Hohmann transfer orbit would have been too expensive. There was a lot of mass in the processing plant, the twenty GW power plant, and the habitat. Both they and their friends left at GEO had become better than average at the old skill of writing letters. The mining camp was too far away for phone conversations to work. The asteroid swung out further than Mars taking a little over four and a half years to come back to 1.1 AU. <br><br>
	The mining camp was also too far away for casual visits. None of the Marc's or Floyd's family had been back to earth since they moved Camp Nickel out to 1986 DA. That would change by fall since Jack and Nina were going to college on earth. Jack wasn't entirely sure he wanted higher education. “Spacewalker” (suits or remotes) paid better than most professional jobs on earth. He had been working informally since he was 13 and part-time since he was 14. (Jack had enough on the books from working for UpLift to pay for the most expensive education in the world.) His uncle Floyd was the deciding factor so he was going to give becoming a professional space engineer a try. Jack didn't need them, but his SAT scores were good enough to get him into MIT. That was the result of small classes and the plant engineers teaching the math and science classes. There was also the effect of living in space. There science and engineering were all that kept you alive, not to mention well-fed and amused. <br><br>		The mining camp was also too far away for casual visits. None of the Marc's or Floyd's family had been back to earth since they moved Camp Nickel out to 1986 DA. That would change by fall since Jack and Nina were going to college on earth. Jack wasn't entirely sure he wanted higher education. “Spacewalker” (suits or remotes) paid better than most professional jobs on earth. He had been working informally since he was 13 and part-time since he was 14. (Jack had enough on the books from working for UpLift to pay for the most expensive education in the world.) His uncle Floyd was the deciding factor so he was going to give becoming a professional space engineer a try. Jack didn't need them, but his SAT scores were good enough to get him into MIT. That was the result of small classes and the plant engineers teaching the math and science classes. There was also the effect of living in space. There science and engineering were all that kept you alive, not to mention well-fed and amused. <br><br>
	Nina was dead set on becoming a doctor/midwife. Both Boston College and Harvard wanted her. She was dithering about which to accept but near MIT was required since she intended on living with Jack. Typical of Mohawk culture, Jack went along with the idea. <br><br>		Nina was dead set on becoming a doctor/midwife. Both Boston College and Harvard wanted her. She was dithering about which to accept but near MIT was required since she intended on living with Jack. Typical of Mohawk culture, Jack went along with the idea. <br><br> <br><br>
	Uplift paid for the education of their workers out of the “gold fund.” The asteroid was about 1 ppm gold. The gold had come out of the refining stream, about 10 tons of it. Gold prices were declining in the economic boom from cheap energy. Still, gold was still over $10,000 a kg, so there was embarrassing excess in the fund. It wasn't easy to get rid of it. The universities wanted "space kids" for "diversity." They wanted them so bad that they offered full scholarships to any who applied. UpLift quietly donated compensating funds to the universities that took children of their workers. <br><br>		Uplift paid for the education of their workers out of the “gold fund.” The asteroid was about 1 ppm gold. The gold had come out of the refining stream, about 10 tons of it. Gold prices were declining in the economic boom from cheap energy. Still, gold was still over $10,000 a kg, so there was embarrassing excess in the fund. It wasn't easy to get rid of it. The universities wanted "space kids" for "diversity." They wanted them so bad that they offered full scholarships to any who applied. UpLift quietly donated compensating funds to the universities that took children of their workers. <br><br>
	Jack and Nina fully intended to go back into space, as did most of their classmates. (Unlike small towns in the previous century, there was a vibrant growing economy where ''they'' went to high school.)		Jack and Nina fully intended to go back into space, as did most of their classmates. (Unlike small towns in the previous century, there was a vibrant growing economy where ''they'' went to high school.)<br><br>
			<br><br> end of chapter<br><br>
			There is a nonfiction-related article,<br><br>

			https://htyp.org/Mining_Asteroids<br><br>

			And one more chapter that continues the train trip through Pittsburgh/Carnegie Melon which describes the frozen-in-time condition of the cities and a bit of the history of what happened to the population.<br><br>

			https://htyp.org/Standard_gauge<br><br>

Hkhenson: /* plus a bit on Mining Asteroids */

2022-12-08T02:14:20Z

plus a bit on Mining Asteroids

Show changes

Hkhenson: /* plus a bit on Mining Asteroids */

2022-12-08T01:34:40Z

plus a bit on Mining Asteroids

Show changes

Hkhenson: /* On the cavernous hangar deck of the former aircraft carrier Enterprise */

2022-12-05T21:17:37Z

On the cavernous hangar deck of the former aircraft carrier Enterprise

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:17, 5 December 2022
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	Three months later, just before Marc's 21st trip up, the families were back at the beach on Howland drinking beer. <br><br>		Three months later, just before Marc's 21st trip up, the families were back at the beach on Howland drinking beer. <br><br>
	UpLift launched Stubby in late July and moved it off fifty km to the east. There had been a few flashovers. They required instantly shorting the ten-thousand-amp output from a wing before the conductors vaporized. Recovery required turning the wings away from the Sun. They turned one CCW and the other CW. The workers had to inspect and repair the short. The wings turned back toward the sun, taking the powersat offline for hours. After a few of these, the vacuum around Stubby had cleaned up and there had been no more problems in the last month. Power for the elevator motors was now coming from the rectenna via a thick submarine cable. The ''Enterprise's'' reactors were still on hot standby. <br><br>		UpLift launched Stubby in late July and moved it off fifty km to the east. There had been a few flashovers. They required instantly shorting the ten-thousand-amp output from a wing before the conductors vaporized. Recovery required turning the wings away from the Sun. They turned one CCW and the other CW. The workers had to inspect and repair the short. The wings turned back toward the sun, taking the powersat offline for hours. After a few of these, the vacuum around Stubby had cleaned up and there had been no more problems in the last month. Power for the elevator motors was now coming from the rectenna via a thick submarine cable. The ''Enterprise's'' reactors were still on hot standby. <br><br>
	During the nights around the autumnal equinox, UpLift had unloaded and slowed the elevator. Unloaded, the ''Enterprise'' could power the elevator when Stubby went into eclipse. The elevator was back to lifting more cable, though the ironworkers were getting some beam spools. They used these to extend the dry dock. They also got early lead items such as the bearings for the family habitat--now only 6 months from completion. They would have to do the same for the vernal equinox in March. By the following autumnal equinox, they should be able to borrow power from a full-sized powersat an hour to the east or west. On one of their beach outings, Floyd asked~~. <br><br>~~		During the nights around the autumnal equinox, UpLift had unloaded and slowed the elevator. Unloaded, the ''Enterprise'' could power the elevator when Stubby went into eclipse. The elevator was back to lifting more cable, though the ironworkers were getting some beam spools. They used these to extend the dry dock. They also got early lead items such as the bearings for the family habitat--now only 6 months from completion. They would have to do the same for the vernal equinox in March. By the following autumnal equinox, they should be able to borrow power from a full-sized powersat an hour to the east or west.<br><br> On one of their beach outings, Floyd asked, "How's your brother doing, Marc?" <br><br>
	"How's your brother doing, Marc?" <br><br>
	"Much better. He and his girlfriend broke up. Ricky took a dose of one of the emo reset drugs to get over her. I think it was the one called ''Red Rubber Ball'' after an old song." <br><br>		"Much better. He and his girlfriend broke up. Ricky took a dose of one of the emo reset drugs to get over her. I think it was the one called ''Red Rubber Ball'' after an old song." <br><br>
	"Then he talked to UpLift's HR about working at the junkyard. They don't want unattached ironworkers. So they introduced him to a young woman from the Six Nations reserve near Brantford. She wanted to go into space and had complimentary MHC genes." He grinned, "It was love at first sniff. They're getting married next week!" <br><br>		"Then he talked to UpLift's HR about working at the junkyard. They don't want unattached ironworkers. So they introduced him to a young woman from the Six Nations reserve near Brantford. She wanted to go into space and had complimentary MHC genes." He grinned, "It was love at first sniff. They're getting married next week!" <br><br>
	Floyd nodded. "It's just amazing how much difference smell makes in stable couples." <br><br>		Floyd nodded. "It's just amazing how much difference smell makes in stable couples." <br><br>
	Kanati grinned at Floyd. "About a 70% reduction in the divorce rate. We tested before we got married, but I knew we were ~~complimentary~~ because he smelled good." <br><br>		Kanati grinned at Floyd. "About a 70% reduction in the divorce rate. We tested before we got married, but I knew we were complementary because he smelled good." <br><br>
	"So is Ricky coming out here?" Floyd asked <br><br>		"So is Ricky coming out here?" Floyd asked <br><br>
	"Hah. Even if he does smell right to her, she will dump him if he doesn't. From what he said, she's a real space nut." <br><br>		"Hah. Even if he does smell right to her, she will dump him if he doesn't. From what he said, she's a real space nut." <br><br>

Hkhenson at 20:44, 5 December 2022

2022-12-05T20:44:17Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:44, 5 December 2022
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	The car finally reached an elevation and velocity where (with the aid of his kick motor) Marc would go into a rescue orbit. Above 23,000 km, the kick motor wasn't needed. In the much-reduced gravity, he unhooked his waders from the ceiling and spilled the water in them into the floor drain. This was something he had to do before the gravity went micro. The water was re-entry heat shielding and had been radiation shielding to get through the Van Allen Belt. Elevator cars dumping gas into the belts as they went up had mostly drained the Belt. <br><br>		The car finally reached an elevation and velocity where (with the aid of his kick motor) Marc would go into a rescue orbit. Above 23,000 km, the kick motor wasn't needed. In the much-reduced gravity, he unhooked his waders from the ceiling and spilled the water in them into the floor drain. This was something he had to do before the gravity went micro. The water was re-entry heat shielding and had been radiation shielding to get through the Van Allen Belt. Elevator cars dumping gas into the belts as they went up had mostly drained the Belt. <br><br>
	After almost four years of build-up from the first thread, the cable was lifting power-satellite parts. It had been lifting cable, pulley parts, and mass for the counterweight. <br><br>		After almost four years of build-up from the first thread, the cable was lifting power-satellite parts. It had been lifting cable, pulley parts, and mass for the counterweight. <br><br>
	The function of the first SPS was to feed power to the cable from the bottom end. Once it came online, it would lift the heavy working cable. That would jump the elevator capacity over the next 9 months from a hundred twenty-five tons a day to 2,000 tons a day. Then UpLift could take reactors in the ''Enterprise,'' which ~~had~~ driving the cable, offline. <br><br>		The function of the first SPS was to feed power to the cable from the bottom end. Once it came online, it would lift the heavy working cable. That would jump the elevator capacity over the next 9 months from a hundred twenty-five tons a day to 2,000 tons a day. Then UpLift could take reactors in the ''Enterprise,'' which were driving the cable, offline. <br><br>
	A hundred miles from geosynchronous orbit Marc's car turned around and switched to the braking cable. At a fraction of a g, it came to rest at "the junkyard" (known in the business plans as the "GEO complex"). This was a plane of light construction frames. It held materials for the elevator, the habitat, and the first power satellite (powersat). The original International Space Station had been here. They used it as living space for the first dozen ironworkers. Then the west junkyard and the first inflatable with room for 60 workers had been set up and filled. Now it was on its way out to the counterweight. There it would join the rest of the salvage. This included space junk pushed up to GEO by the ion-engine tugs and hundreds of tons of old communication satellites. Hubble was still in use, pushed up to GEO, and parked 170 degrees east of the construction site. <br><br>		A hundred miles from geosynchronous orbit Marc's car turned around and switched to the braking cable. At a fraction of a g, it came to rest at "the junkyard" (known in the business plans as the "GEO complex"). This was a plane of light construction frames. It held materials for the elevator, the habitat, and the first power satellite (powersat). The original International Space Station had been here. They used it as living space for the first dozen ironworkers. Then the west junkyard and the first inflatable with room for 60 workers had been set up and filled. Now it was on its way out to the counterweight. There it would join the rest of the salvage. This included space junk pushed up to GEO by the ion-engine tugs and hundreds of tons of old communication satellites. Hubble was still in use, pushed up to GEO, and parked 170 degrees east of the construction site. <br><br>
	The junkyard attached to the space elevator through the so far misnamed "driver hubs," a pair of pulleys only a few miles apart. Uplift intended to install big electric motors, but the cable wasn't yet strong enough to lift motors that big in one piece yet. UpLift had attached the junkyard to the driver hubs with breakaway connections. This was in anticipation of the day natural or artificial space junk cut the cable. The four quadrants of the junkyard were minute flower petals on an impossibly long stem. <br><br>		The junkyard attached to the space elevator through the so far misnamed "driver hubs," a pair of pulleys only a few miles apart. Uplift intended to install big electric motors, but the cable wasn't yet strong enough to lift motors that big in one piece yet. UpLift had attached the junkyard to the driver hubs with breakaway connections. This was in anticipation of the day natural or artificial space junk cut the cable. The four quadrants of the junkyard were minute flower petals on an impossibly long stem. <br><br>

Hkhenson: /* A story of Space Elevators and Power Satellites */

2022-12-05T20:38:49Z

A story of Space Elevators and Power Satellites

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:38, 5 December 2022
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	It would have taken much more power if Marc had been going up the thousand mph main cable instead of the VS cable. Almost three times more power needed to lift his car and excessively stressed the cable. This was due to the cube law of drag power and the doubling of the drag coefficient for going supersonic. <br><br>		It would have taken much more power if Marc had been going up the thousand mph main cable instead of the VS cable. Almost three times more power needed to lift his car and excessively stressed the cable. This was due to the cube law of drag power and the doubling of the drag coefficient for going supersonic. <br><br>
	As the air thinned out above ten miles, the cable and car accelerated to the speed of the main cable. It was now drawing 6,000 horsepower, twice that of a railroad locomotive. <br><br>		As the air thinned out above ten miles, the cable and car accelerated to the speed of the main cable. It was now drawing 6,000 horsepower, twice that of a railroad locomotive. <br><br>
	Seven minutes into his journey from the bilge of the ''Enterprise '' and fifty miles up, Marc’s car came to the transfer station. There was a moment of zero-g before the rolling clamp engaged the main cable on the far side of the transfer station. Marc had worked on the transfer station, adding sections to beef up the pulleys. You could get the FEAR there, in a full-g field and 50 miles up. Cameras and strain gauges watched the huge spinning pulleys at the transfer station. It was not a place for people. Unless you had to work on a pulley station, you didn't want the extra weight. This was especially that low on the cable where a pound added hundreds of tons of cable mass. <br><br>		Seven minutes into his journey from the bilge of the ''Enterprise '' and fifty miles up, Marc’s car came to the transfer station. There was a moment of zero-g before the rolling clamp engaged the main cable on the far side of the transfer station. Marc had worked on the transfer station, adding sections to beef up the pulleys. You could get the FEAR there, in a full-g field and 50 miles up. Cameras and strain gauges watched the huge spinning pulleys at the transfer station. It was not a place for people. Unless you had to work on a pulley station, you didn't want the extra weight. This was especially true that low on the cable where every pound added hundreds of tons of cable mass. <br><br>
	Anchored at a fixed elevation by the variable speed cable, the bottom pulley set didn't have active size control. The rest of the pulley stations stayed at elevation by active size control in their up- and down-pulley diameters. The first transfer station was low enough for space junk to burn up, so it didn't have the brakes and clamps to recover from a cut cable below it. <br><br>		Anchored at a fixed elevation by the variable speed cable, the bottom pulley set didn't have active size control. The rest of the pulley stations stayed at elevation by active size control in their up- and down-pulley diameters. The first transfer station was low enough for space junk to burn up, so it didn't have the brakes and clamps to recover from a cut cable below it. <br><br>
	The requirements for working on the space elevator were simple. No fear of heights and no claustrophobia from a day cooped up in a closet. Marc had seen the next model of the car, the one his family would ride when they went up. It was about four times as big and folded out a little bit larger when you got out of the atmosphere. Going up on a thicker cable it didn't need the catapult, just slowing the variable speed cable to a near stop, latching on, and going up easy. <br><br>		The requirements for working on the space elevator were simple. No fear of heights and no claustrophobia from a day cooped up in a closet. Marc had seen the next model of the car, the one his family would ride when they went up. It was about four times as big and folded out a little bit larger when you got out of the atmosphere. Going up on a thicker cable it didn't need the catapult, just slowing the variable speed cable to a near stop, latching on, and going up easy. <br><br>

Hkhenson: /* On the cavernous hangar deck of the former aircraft carrier Enterprise */

2022-12-05T20:29:57Z

On the cavernous hangar deck of the former aircraft carrier Enterprise

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:29, 5 December 2022
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	It hadn’t happened yet, but one day a piece of space junk missed in the cleanup would cut the cable and dump a car from a couple of thousand kilometers up. Uplift engineers had designed the cars to survive a fall off an elevator. They would re-enter or go into a rescue orbit from any elevation, but Marc didn’t want to be the test case. <br><br>		It hadn’t happened yet, but one day a piece of space junk missed in the cleanup would cut the cable and dump a car from a couple of thousand kilometers up. Uplift engineers had designed the cars to survive a fall off an elevator. They would re-enter or go into a rescue orbit from any elevation, but Marc didn’t want to be the test case. <br><br>
	At thirty seconds, he got a countdown. At twenty seconds, he started hyperventilating. Then ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, exhale hard to get as much air as he could out of his lungs. Three, two, Marc ducked his head underwater in the flexible plastic neck sleeve so he wouldn’t break his neck, one, SURGE. <br><br>		At thirty seconds, he got a countdown. At twenty seconds, he started hyperventilating. Then ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, exhale hard to get as much air as he could out of his lungs. Three, two, Marc ducked his head underwater in the flexible plastic neck sleeve so he wouldn’t break his neck, one, SURGE. <br><br>
	The ''Enterprise’s'' steam catapult had launched twenty-ton aircraft to a hundred mph. Now it stretched nanotube cables like a bungee cord. Released, they hurled Marc’s one-ton car up a shaft cut all the way to the bilge. The car ~~wet~~ up the 200-foot latticework tower resting on the flight deck at twenty g. It cleared the tower going up at near the 400-mph speed of the variable speed elevator cable. (The high-g start increased the throughput of the space elevator. It reduced the speed cycling of the cable that lifted payloads the first fifty miles.) <br><br>		The ''Enterprise’s'' steam catapult had launched twenty-ton aircraft to a hundred mph. Now it stretched nanotube cables like a bungee cord. Released, they hurled Marc’s one-ton car up a shaft cut all the way to the bilge. The car went up the 200-foot latticework tower resting on the flight deck at twenty g. It cleared the tower going up at near the 400-mph speed of the variable speed elevator cable. (The high-g start increased the throughput of the space elevator. It reduced the speed cycling of the cable that lifted payloads the first fifty miles.) <br><br>
	As the car reached the top of the tower, the rolling clamp gripped the variable speed elevator cable at close to zero relative speed. <br><br>		As the car reached the top of the tower, the rolling clamp gripped the variable speed elevator cable at close to zero relative speed. <br><br>
	The g forces in the car went through zero, and up became down at about 0.1 g for a few milliseconds. Then the rolling clamp took up the weight and aerodynamic load and latched. This time, only a little water leaked past Marc's neck dam. The Pig's nuclear reactors poured more power into the drive motors, accelerating the cable and car to 500 mph. The car was now drawing 2,900 horsepower, of which 90% was going into raising the car’s altitude. The other 10% went into dragging the car’s aerodynamic body up through the atmosphere. <br><br>		The g forces in the car went through zero, and up became down at about 0.1 g for a few milliseconds. Then the rolling clamp took up the weight and aerodynamic load and latched. This time, only a little water leaked past Marc's neck dam. The Pig's nuclear reactors poured more power into the drive motors, accelerating the cable and car to 500 mph. The car was now drawing 2,900 horsepower, of which 90% was going into raising the car’s altitude. The other 10% went into dragging the car’s aerodynamic body up through the atmosphere. <br><br>

Hkhenson: /* plus a bit on Mining Asteroids */

2022-12-05T18:00:50Z

plus a bit on Mining Asteroids

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:00, 5 December 2022
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	After a hot-dog lunch, the kids went back to playing in the reef-attenuated surf. Kids younger than about ten didn't bother with swimsuits. Those entering puberty became shy about developing bodies and most wore suits. Among the adults, some wore suits and some didn't. Nina, Jason's 10-year-old sister, had just acquired a yellow bikini. It totaled about ten square inches. Wet and against her tanned skin, it was almost transparent. Jack would have teased her about it but she had a reach advantage on him at this age and he decided bruises were not worth it. <br><br>		After a hot-dog lunch, the kids went back to playing in the reef-attenuated surf. Kids younger than about ten didn't bother with swimsuits. Those entering puberty became shy about developing bodies and most wore suits. Among the adults, some wore suits and some didn't. Nina, Jason's 10-year-old sister, had just acquired a yellow bikini. It totaled about ten square inches. Wet and against her tanned skin, it was almost transparent. Jack would have teased her about it but she had a reach advantage on him at this age and he decided bruises were not worth it. <br><br>
	Minny and Kanati chatted in a mix of English and Mohawk while keeping an eye on the kids. The subject was when to get pregnant. <br><br>		Minny and Kanati chatted in a mix of English and Mohawk while keeping an eye on the kids. The subject was when to get pregnant. <br><br>
	"I'd do it now, we could certainly afford another one, but taking a little one up . . . ." Kanati ~~shock~~ her head. "Be hard to take care of a baby that long in a medium-sized closet." <br><br>		"I'd do it now, we could certainly afford another one, but taking a little one up . . . ." Kanati shook her head. "Be hard to take care of a baby that long in a medium-sized closet." <br><br>
	"I bet all of us try for the first baby born in space," Minny said softly. "The worst-case radiation on the way up isn't as bad as the polychlorinated Wahecmah our mothers got from their mothers eating contaminated fish." The contamination of local caught fish in the St. Lawrence River had been a contentious topic when Minny's mother was growing up. <br><br>		"I bet all of us try for the first baby born in space," Minny said softly. "The worst-case radiation on the way up isn't as bad as the polychlorinated Wahecmah our mothers got from their mothers eating contaminated fish." The contamination of local caught fish in the St. Lawrence River had been a contentious topic when Minny's mother was growing up. <br><br>
	Minny paused, looking at the kids. Kanati waded out and warned the older kids they were getting close to the sharp-as-knives coral heads. She didn't tell them to back off. It wasn't onkwehonwehnéha to order kids away from minor danger. The kids did put more distance between themselves and the coral. <br><br>		Minny paused, looking at the kids. Kanati waded out and warned the older kids they were getting close to the sharp-as-knives coral heads. She didn't tell them to back off. It wasn't onkwehonwehnéha to order kids away from minor danger. The kids did put more distance between themselves and the coral. <br><br>
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	"I hope they don't need it. The Jacobs kid was a mess." <br><br>		"I hope they don't need it. The Jacobs kid was a mess." <br><br>
	"That's why they're being careful. His scabs were a nine-day wonder." <br><br>		"That's why they're being careful. His scabs were a nine-day wonder." <br><br>
	Marc and Floyd who had been following their wives' conversation just looked at each other with a resigned look. They had read UpLift's advice that being pregnant when the families went up next year wasn't a good idea. There was the possibility of missing a station transfer and having to reenter. The advice sheet went on to suggest that the second trimester would be the least risky. That included possible solar flare radiation. <br><br>		Marc and Floyd, who had been following their wives' conversation, just looked at each other with a resigned look. They had read UpLift's advice that being pregnant when the families went up next year wasn't a good idea. There was the possibility of missing a station transfer and having to reenter. The advice sheet went on to suggest that the second trimester would be the least risky. That included possible solar flare radiation. <br><br>
	"Floyd?" Minny got his attention. <br><br>		"Floyd?" Minny got his attention. <br><br>
	"Yes?" <br><br>		"Yes?" <br><br>

Hkhenson: /* A story of Space Elevators and Power Satellites */

2022-12-05T06:36:26Z

A story of Space Elevators and Power Satellites

← Older revision		Revision as of 06:36, 5 December 2022
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	Over the weekend, the family had been at Howland. They used the long wide beach on the lee side of the island. Marc and Minny shared the beach with a few dozen other families. Half of them were missing the men who were working their three-week shift in space. <br><br>		Over the weekend, the family had been at Howland. They used the long wide beach on the lee side of the island. Marc and Minny shared the beach with a few dozen other families. Half of them were missing the men who were working their three-week shift in space. <br><br>
	The waves breaking over the reef on the windward side of the island had come a quarter of the way around the planet. The refracted waves passed over the west reef. They swept foaming up the wide beach among the giggling children, then hissed back, vanishing into the sand. <br><br>		The waves breaking over the reef on the windward side of the island had come a quarter of the way around the planet. The refracted waves passed over the west reef. They swept foaming up the wide beach among the giggling children, then hissed back, vanishing into the sand. <br><br>
	UpLift had negotiated the use of this magnificent beach with the Fish and Wildlife Service. In exchange, the company exterminated the rats on Howland. UpLift dropped a few miles of weighted plastic pipe ending a bottlebrush array of osmotic membranes to the west of Howland. The water there was close to 13,000 feet deep. That gave a pressure at depth of 5700 psi, much more than the 500 ~~hundred~~ psi needed to make freshwater. Freshwater is less dense than salt. That made the water rise in the pipe to within 400 feet of the surface. A submersible pump brought it up the rest of the way. If the ocean had been three times that deep near Howland, freshwater would have flowed all the way back to the surface under pressure. <br><br>		UpLift had negotiated the use of this magnificent beach with the Fish and Wildlife Service. In exchange, the company exterminated the rats on Howland. UpLift dropped a few miles of weighted plastic pipe ending a bottlebrush array of osmotic membranes to the west of Howland. The water there was close to 13,000 feet deep. That gave a pressure at depth of 5700 psi, much more than the 500 psi needed to make freshwater. Freshwater is less dense than salt. That made the water rise in the pipe to within 400 feet of the surface. A submersible pump brought it up the rest of the way. If the ocean had been three times that deep near Howland, freshwater would have flowed all the way back to the surface under pressure. <br><br>
	The freshwater supplied showers next to the Porta-Potties every 50 meters down the beach. The only problem was the sea birds that flocked around the showers for a drink. The birds could drink seawater and excrete concentrated salt in tears but they much preferred freshwater if they could get it. <br><br>		The freshwater supplied showers next to the Porta-Potties every 50 meters down the beach. The only problem was the sea birds that flocked around the showers for a drink. The birds could drink seawater and excrete concentrated salt in tears but they much preferred freshwater if they could get it. <br><br>
	Marc and Minny sat under a cabaña drinking beer and talking to friends and relatives from the "trailer park." Floyd was a non-Mohawk project engineer who solved space construction problems from the ground. He was itching to go up and envied the ironworkers who had been going up for over a year. His wife, Kanati, was Minny's cousin and a midwife who team-taught kindergarten and first grade with Minny. She wasn't completely enthusiastic about moving to space, but their son Jason who was six was just as hyped up as Robbie was. All four of the adults had taken a hit from the "drunk" side of a Drunk and Sober bottle. That meant a couple of six-packs was all they needed to stay buzzed all afternoon. <br><br>		Marc and Minny sat under a cabaña drinking beer and talking to friends and relatives from the "trailer park." Floyd was a non-Mohawk project engineer who solved space construction problems from the ground. He was itching to go up and envied the ironworkers who had been going up for over a year. His wife, Kanati, was Minny's cousin and a midwife who team-taught kindergarten and first grade with Minny. She wasn't completely enthusiastic about moving to space, but their son Jason who was six was just as hyped up as Robbie was. All four of the adults had taken a hit from the "drunk" side of a Drunk and Sober bottle. That meant a couple of six-packs was all they needed to stay buzzed all afternoon. <br><br>

Hkhenson: /* A story of Space Elevators and Power Satellites */

2021-06-26T01:31:01Z

A story of Space Elevators and Power Satellites

← Older revision		Revision as of 01:31, 26 June 2021
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	The target construction rate was a powersat every five days. That depended on the elevator reaching full capacity, and ''that'' in turn depended on this first quarter scale sat to power it. Full-scale powersats would mass twenty-five thousand tons. Stubby was only a quarter that mass and bringing up its parts had occupied the elevator for over a month. It had taken another forty days to bring up the parts for the quarter-sized dry dock needed to assemble it. <br><br>		The target construction rate was a powersat every five days. That depended on the elevator reaching full capacity, and ''that'' in turn depended on this first quarter scale sat to power it. Full-scale powersats would mass twenty-five thousand tons. Stubby was only a quarter that mass and bringing up its parts had occupied the elevator for over a month. It had taken another forty days to bring up the parts for the quarter-sized dry dock needed to assemble it. <br><br>
	When the rolls of beam stock first started coming up, Marc asked Floyd why they were using this expensive nickel alloy, not steel or aluminum. <br><br>		When the rolls of beam stock first started coming up, Marc asked Floyd why they were using this expensive nickel alloy, not steel or aluminum. <br><br>
	"Eclipses," Floyd told him. "For a few weeks around the equinox, an SPS gets eclipsed by the ~~arth~~, for up to 70 minutes. The darn things cool by 200 degrees. Steel or aluminum would curl up like a potato chip. Then when the Sun comes back, they flap like wings. The computer simulations were sad. We could put hinges and dampers into them, but using Invar, we can just ignore eclipses. The temperature coefficient is near zero" <br><br>		"Eclipses," Floyd told him. "For a few weeks around the equinox, an SPS gets eclipsed by the earth, for up to 70 minutes. The darn things cool by 200 degrees. Steel or aluminum would curl up like a potato chip. Then when the Sun comes back, they flap like wings. The computer simulations were sad. We could put hinges and dampers into them, but using Invar, we can just ignore eclipses. The temperature coefficient is near zero" <br><br>
	There were only 60 people at the construction yard. They were critical for building and unjamming the automation. The speed-of-light delay made it hard to do most jobs from the ground. <br><br>		There were only 60 people at the construction yard. They were critical for building and unjamming the automation. The speed-of-light delay made it hard to do most jobs from the ground. <br><br>
	It was amazing how much you could get done in zero-g riding around on a magnified version of the ancient shuttle arm. In spite of having to move the beam spinners around, by the end of Marc's three weeks they were a quarter done with framing Stubby. They had pulled out half the beams on the north wing. Four more beam spinners had come up, so the next quarter would take only half as long. <br><br>		It was amazing how much you could get done in zero-g riding around on a magnified version of the ancient shuttle arm. In spite of having to move the beam spinners around, by the end of Marc's three weeks they were a quarter done with framing Stubby. They had pulled out half the beams on the north wing. Four more beam spinners had come up, so the next quarter would take only half as long. <br><br>