# Space Elevator within 15 years? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [March 27, 2002, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/space-elevator-within-15-years/100378 "2002-03-27T15:13:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Wearia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/13edae/32.png) [@Wearia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wearia)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2002, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/space-elevator-within-15-years/100378/121 "2002-08-23T07:21:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by lokij \* > \*\*I’m curious as to why so many people seem to want to eject nuclear waste into the sun or outside of our solar system. From a purely scientific standpoint heavy elements (such as nuclear waste) are extremely scarce items in the solar soup we live in. Scarcity suggests it might be prudent to store them some place safely tucked away but also someplace where we can also get at them should we need them for some future reason. I recall that gasoline was discarded at early refineries as a waste product with no use, and natural gas was burned off as a waste product at one time too. Throwing heavy metals into the sun strikes me as terrifically wastefull, look at how long it took the sun to make and eject the stuff in the first place! \*\* This is my exact arguement on nuclear waste. Are you my dobbleganger or something? Anyway, this is quite an amazing thread. So many ups and downs. There are a lot of it can’t work because of, followed by that can be solved by doing this. I fear however that the elevator simply isn’t feasable. It would revolutionize space travel of course, but if it doesn’t work, well then, it doesn’t work. I want to be optimistic however. The 15 year plan is ridiculous. I can’t see it taking less than 40 years. But if it does, great! ---
**Author:** ![dalovindj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/65b543/32.png) [@dalovindj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalovindj)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2002, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/space-elevator-within-15-years/100378/122 "2002-10-25T18:33:33Z")
Figured I’d update this thread with an [update on the thread](http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99992965). DaLovin’ Dj ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2002, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/space-elevator-within-15-years/100378/123 "2002-10-30T16:55:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by lokij \* > I’m curious as to why so many people seem to want to eject nuclear waste into the sun or outside of our solar system. \*\* It’s probably already been stated but throwing stuff into the sun isn’t like chucking a bear can out of a moving car. Even with the Earth space elevator, a garbage pod is still in a stable orbit around the sun. It would need to decelarate so that its orbit will decay enough for its path to intersect the sun. This required considerable energy. ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2002, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/space-elevator-within-15-years/100378/124 "2002-10-31T01:35:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by msmith537 \* > **It’s probably already been stated but throwing stuff into the sun isn’t like chucking a bear can out of a moving car.** I had no idea you could carry grizzlies around with you in convenient canned form. 😉 > [@](#): > > \*\*Even with the Earth space elevator, a garbage pod is still in a stable orbit around the sun. It would need to decelarate so that its orbit will decay enough for its path to intersect the sun. This required considerable energy. \*\* Deceleration, even in interplanetary space, can be accomplished without having to burn rocket fuel. Ever hear of a solar sail? Or even better, a solar magnetic sail? They’re pretty lousy at providing acceleration, but they’re **great** for braking. ---
**Author:** ![lokij](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/5e9695/32.png) [@lokij](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lokij)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2002, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/space-elevator-within-15-years/100378/125 "2002-10-31T07:00:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by msmith537 \* > \*\* > > It’s probably already been stated but throwing stuff into the sun isn’t like chucking a bear can out of a moving car. Even with the Earth space elevator, a garbage pod is still in a stable orbit around the sun. It would need to decelarate so that its orbit will decay enough for its path to intersect the sun. This required considerable energy. \*\* Well I never stated that it would be easy or difficult, I merely questioned why we would want to do it in the first place. ---
**Author:** ![starman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8c91f0/32.png) [@starman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/starman)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2002, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/space-elevator-within-15-years/100378/126 "2002-11-21T04:22:08Z")
There is another article up from the site linked to in the OP. ([http://space.com/businesstechnology/technology/space\_elevator\_021120.html](http://space.com/businesstechnology/technology/space_elevator_021120.html)) This article claims a company called HighLift Systems intends to test prototype technologies for a space elevator over the next few years. -Oli [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/space-elevator-within-15-years/100378.md?page=6)