19th October 2005

LiftPort

posted in Tools and Technology, Gadgets and Gizmos |

A group, LiftPort, was formed to investigate the space elevator.  The best description I’ve found of the space elevator is in a book called Old Man’s War, a sci-fi novel by John Scalzi.   Scalzi writes a good Heinlein novel.  LiftPort is dead serious though.  This is no more sci-fi stuff than rockets were sci-fi in the fifties.

The LiftPort Group (LPG) is dedicated to building a mass transportation
system to open up access to the inner solar system (LEO, GEO, the Moon,

Mars, and asteroids). We expect the Space Elevator
will be at the heart of this revolutionary transportation service. By
opening up broad-based access to Earth orbits and the inner solar
system, LPG will help bring about the creation of entire new markets.
Based in space commerce, these new markets can only become viable
through safe, inexpensive, routine access to the inner solar system. In
short, we at LiftPort Group believe that development of the space
elevator is a crucial step in the future of Earth and space.

LiftPort has a low volume, spam-free announcement mailing list.  You should sign up so you don’t miss a chance to catch the ride of your life.

 

This entry was posted on Wednesday, October 19th, 2024 at 8:49 and is filed under Tools and Technology, Gadgets and Gizmos. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

There are currently 6 responses to “LiftPort”

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  1. 1 On October 19th, 2024, BossNass said:

    Well I read the first two chapters but stopped there. Might pick the book up again after I get over this heart problem. Some how I can’t find myself reading about old people joining the military to get new body parts. I am not “old” and really NEED many new parts today. I am especially looking forward to getting a teenager’s heart during this holiday season.

    I read about space elevators in my IEEE mag a few years ago. Electrical engineers are very serious about putting these into production. The biggest problem left to solve is terrorist attacks.

  2. 2 On October 19th, 2024, Brian said:

    Thanks - it’s appreciated. Was it the cats?

  3. 3 On October 19th, 2024, Brian said:

    The biggest problem left to solve is terrorist attacks.

    Nah. We just put up a big sign. “No bombs, guns, nuclear weapons, war gas, germs or improvised weapons past this point”.

    What - it works at the airport.

    Actually the best defense for the first one is that it (probably) will be far over the horizon in the middle of the ocean. Not photogenic. And hard to find - the ribbon is a meter wide and the ocean is a large place.

    In the long run the best defense is to make more of them. Loosing the one of one is a huge disaster - financially even if it doesn’t make a huge kaboom.

    Loosing one in a system is inconvenient. The legal problems and political issues are the project killer here. They always are.

  4. 4 On October 20th, 2024, fp said:

    Hey Boss… I wondered if that book would hit too close to home. Great sci-fi, but maybe a little edgy for a guy waiting for a heart. Still, when you get past the re-juvenation part is when all the action takes place.

    And Brian? Yes, it was the cats. I started getting click-throughs from them and wondered what was up. Thanks for the link!

  5. 5 On October 27th, 2024, Ted M said:

    A space elevator plays a huge role in Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson. Terrific book. Unforgettable space elevator content.

  6. 6 On October 27th, 2024, Brian said:

    ‘Red Mars’.

    Didn’t like it, but that is typical of most of KSR’s work. I liked the story as an idea, however, which I find happens a great deal around his work.

    And that damned unforgettable world ending space elevator accident at the end … everyone who reads that book savvys ’space elevator’ and they probably know why it’s a good thing and the benefits of owning one.

    They also ‘know’ that if one fails it will end with a trail of fire on the equator. Which ain’t so.

    Color me annoyed then at ‘Red Mars’.

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