The future of skydiving!

[kevin922 0]

here

A space elevator has passed its first test, a 1000 ft run - looks like it will work already for base jumping, perhaps 14K feet is not far away!

A private group has taken one small step toward the prospect of building a futuristic space elevator.

LiftPort Group Inc., of Bremerton, Wash., has successfully tested a robot climber — a novel piece of hardware that reeled itself up and down a lengthy ribbon dangling from a high-altitude balloon.

The test run, conducted earlier this week, is seen as a precursor experiment intended to flight validate equipment and methods to construct a space elevator. This visionary concept would make use of an ultra-strong carbon nanotube composite ribbon stretching up to 62,000 miles (100,000 kilometers) from Earth into space.

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The space elevator would be anchored to an offshore sea platform near the equator in the Pacific Ocean. At the other end in space, the ribbon would be attached to a small counterweight. Mechanical “lifters” — robotic elevator cars — would move up and down the ribbon, carrying such items as satellites, solar power systems and eventually people into space.

LiftPort’s plan is to take the concept from the research laboratory to commercial development.

Robot lifter
“We were very pleased with the test,” Michael Laine, president of the LiftPort Group, told Space.com. “It worked really well.”

The assessment of flight hardware took place Tuesday at an undisclosed location in Eastern Washington. Due to the experimental nature of the equipment, actual whereabouts of the test site can’t be revealed, primarily due to safety reasons, Laine said.


LiftPort Group
Even with wind moving the balloon, LiftPort's robot climber was able to navigate its way up and down the long ribbon during a tether-climbing test.
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“If our 23-pound (10.5-kilogram) robot falls from the ribbon … we don’t want spectators to be in the way as it makes a couple-thousand-dollar crater,” Laine explained.

This week’s testing involved a 12-foot (4-meter) diameter balloon. Safety lines held by team members kept the balloon from floating away. The ribbon dangling from the balloon was made of composite fiberglass, with the robot lifter running up and down the tether.

“This lifter is much smarter than our previous versions. It’s our 18th version,” he said, with the Mark VII robot named Sword Over Damocles or "Sword" for short. The belt-driven robot is battery-powered, featuring two motors and an expanded cargo area due to increased intelligence built into the device, he said.

Goal in sight
During the day, the highest altitude reached by the balloon/ribbon/robot combination was 1,000 feet (305 meters). “It gives us complete confidence that the mile goal is well within reach,” Laine said.

Laine said that the Federal Aviation Administration has been very supportive and helpful in orchestrating their test flights.

“We are cleared up to 1 mile high, off of a tethered helium balloon,” Laine said. “Our series of tests are designed to gain in altitude as we go, as we test our communications, range sensors, global positioning system satellite gear, along with temperature and camera systems.”

Miles to go
Further experiment dates have not been pinpointed as yet, although the weather in the area will play a key factor.

“We have a fairly open window to do more tests,” Laine said. “We’ve probably got another month or so if we’re going to do it here in Washington state.”

Other options are being looked at, such as staging LiftPort hardware tests from Denver as well as Northern California, he added.

Laine and his space elevator team know that they have miles to go — literally — before a space elevator can be shown to be workable.

“But the test was a step in the right direction,” Laine said. “It shows that our hardware design is valid.”

[piisfish 135]

what is the climb rate ??

scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM

[popsjumper 2]

They need to add an exit door before lifting people skydivers is tested,

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[Mike111 0]

That sounds pretty darn cool!!!

might be expensive though i guess, but hey, sounds wicked!!

[JohnMitchell 14]

Sounds fuel efficient. That's going to be more of a concern in the days to come.

[mnealtx 0]

I wonder if they could run it under solar power? High speed to reach terminal velocity won't be needed if they can make it work...

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

[husky329 0]

Sounds awesome, especially for skydiving altitudes. However, there is one problem with a "space elevator." Running a wire through even the slightest magnetic field in space will create loads of electric current, just as an oscillating/rotating magnet does in motors. There is a fair amount of magnetic force in space, and the elevator "tower" or whatever you'd want to call it would be going extremely fast to match the Earths rotation. The tower would have to be made by something other than metal, and have no wires running the length of the tower.

But if it stopped within the atmosphere wouldn't winds be blowing that thing all over the place? I doubt you'd get out over the DZ. Every dive would be a "track for your life" dive

-Cam

[FreeflyChile 0]

Not to mention the time between groups....

[JackC 0]

Quote

Sounds awesome, especially for skydiving altitudes. However, there is one problem with a "space elevator." Running a wire through even the slightest magnetic field in space will create loads of electric current, just as an oscillating/rotating magnet does in motors. There is a fair amount of magnetic force in space, and the elevator "tower" or whatever you'd want to call it would be going extremely fast to match the Earths rotation. The tower would have to be made by something other than metal, and have no wires running the length of the tower.

Nah, just plug the elevator cable into the motor that drives the lift platform. It would power itself then. Free jumps for all!