Welcome to the December 2017 Edition of the ISEC Newsletter

Dear Friend,

In this edition, you will find an update from our harbormaster on a preferred location for the Space Elevator's Earth Port. Read on for a summary of the British Interplanetary Society Symposium held last month. We also have another write-up from one of our summer Interns. There are also some exciting upcoming Space Elevator related events around the world that you will want to check out.  Thank you for reading and lending your support in the development of Space Elevators!

As always, you will find notices of several open volunteer positions (a great way to help this project, even if you’re not a scientist or engineer) and a reminder that all ISEC reports, Yearly Reports, CLIMB Journals and the Via Ad Astra Magazine, are now available FOR FREE in electronic (pdf) format at ISEC.org. There is plenty of work to be done!

If you want to help us make a space elevator happen, JOIN ISEC and get involved! A space elevator would truly revolutionize life on earth and open up the solar system and beyond to all of us.

Please don’t forget to LIKE US on Facebook, FOLLOW US on Twitter, and enjoy the photos and videos that we’ve posted on Flickr and YouTube – all under our Social Identity of ISECdotORG.

Thank you,

Mark Dodrill

President's Corner

Membership is Important!

Please join ISEC, as we are in the process of moving the space elevator concept forward and would love your help.  We have a small group of committed enthusiasts who are keeping the dream of space elevators active and alive.  We understand the tremendous issues that are facing us, not least of which is the ability to produce a material strong enough and long enough to provide a safe structure to race upon to the stars.  However, we would like to start the process building a large space infrastructure enabling low cost, routine, and safe lift to space.  We have a three-step plan:

Step One:          Research kicking off the development

Step Two:         Deployment and build-up of space elevators

Step Three:       Operations enabling robust commercial and government access to space while enabling humanity’s movement off planet

Along with this three step plan we have activities that are essential to success in the long run.  We must keep ISEC alive and well with the mission of ensuring space elevators are included inside the arena of “New Space.”  We have a real challenge as people are taking off in all kinds of directions with over 20,000 satellites being proposed for commercial constellations while Musk and Bezos are thinking bigger with delivery of product and people to the Moon and Mars.  The space elevator can enable this movement into a robust commercial space world, but we need support at the basic level.

The first level of support is membership.  Please go to www.isec.org and punch the button “join” with the intention to not only submit dues, but also support in other ways such as review the monthly newsletter, review the study reports already completed, and then talk about space elevators with your friends and within the schools in your area.  Information sharing is one area each of us can contribute.  I was just at Arizona State University and the students are all about the future of space travel and where our industry is taking them.

Please join ISEC and enjoy the rewards of helping move towards the future.

Keep Climbing my Friends!

Pete Swan

President, ISEC

Why the Transition the focus to Galactic Harbour?

The development of a future space elevator infrastructure requires us to open our minds and assess the businesses that will accompany development.  The infrastructure will be refined as we move forward only if we can ensure that the whole project will lead to profitability and that it will encourage enterprises to flourish inside the various regions.  During 2016, the ISEC identified the concept of Galactic Harbour.  During this year, we have refined the concepts associated with a Galactic Harbour and have incorporated it into the ISEC strategy for the future.  ISEC introduced a developmental strategy as a unifying vision:

Our “strategy” is to link the Space Elevator Transportation System to the Space Elevator Enterprise System; within a Unifying Vision - the Galactic Harbour.  It is best to read such things very slowly and to interpret them for insight and clarity.  The strategy cites a transportation system AND an enterprise.  It also calls for unification (a unifying vision).  The core idea is that we are to build two things and then unify them.  Another version of this thought is that we build one that enables the other; or we are to build the first so that we may also have the second.

It is important to keep the elements and activities of a harbor in mind: main channel, entry, departure, port services, security, and so on.  The definition would become:

“The Galactic Harbour operates in a continuous manner, moving customer payloads and support material within Climbers; moving along Tethers.  The Climbers rise from the Earth Port toward exit gates at the GEO Region, or the Apex Region above.  The delivered payloads are the future’s new versions of today’s operating satellites; and the support material is seen as “spare parts” for payload repair, refueling, and more.  It would most logically be the Earth Port where the customers have their payloads loaded on Climbers and then the release points are at altitudes as per the desires of the customer.”

Click to continue reading: https://isec.org/why-transition-the-focus-to-galactic-harbour/

Keegan Tommy Completes 2017 International Space Elevator Consortium’s Summer Internship

Mr. Tommy is a 3rd year Chemical Engineering Student at the University of Johannesburg, South Africa. During this summer he interviewed a senior person in South African space activities and conducted a survey at his university. He was also required to accomplish research and provide a short thesis on a designated topic.  He chose a topic related to his country and their interest in space activities. 

His title and Executive Summary follow:  “How Can South Africa contribute to the Development of the Space Elevator?”

On the 6th of June 2017 I was tasked by the International Space Elevator Consortium to create a thesis as to how South Africa can contribute to the development of a Space Elevator? In order to complete this task I arranged for a one-on-one interview with the Chief Engineer of the South African Nation Space Agency (SANSA) and also conducted a group discussion with top professors and lecturers of the University of Johannesburg and the Witwatersrand University. In addition, electronic communications were conducted with external companies that aim to develop their own rocketry program or are trying to introduce rocketry skills for young students. Finally, a survey was distributed and compiled for University Students in the University of Johannesburg.

I have come to the conclusion that South Africa, as a country, is not able to contribute to the development of the Space Elevator due to its lack of a stable economy and government; however, the people of South Africa possess the skills, knowledge and creative thinking to contribute to the development of a Space Elevator.

China announces it would like a Space Elevator by 2045

(Yicai Global) Nov. 17 -- The China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, a subordinate of the nation’s main space program contractor China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp. (CASC), recently laid out long-term plans for its space program, under which it hopes to develop reusable sub-orbital spacecraft by 2025 to allow for space tourism and build a space elevator by 2045, state-owned news agency Xinhua reported yesterday.

https://www.yicaiglobal.com/news/china-shoots-stars-plans-build-space-elevator-2045

EARTH PORT Update #9  November 2017

In ISEC Position Paper #2012-1, the “preferred” location for the Marine Node, now Earth Port, was approximately 1,000 km west of the Galapagos Islands on the Equator in the Pacific Ocean. The location for the Headquarters/ Primary Operating Center (“HQ/POC”) was to be in San Diego, California, USA. Subsequent ISEC and International Academy of Astronautics (“IAA”) studies and publications have carried these locations forward. The primary criteria for the Galapagos site was that it is within 3 degrees of the Equator in the open ocean with benign weather conditions including a low incidence of lightning strikes, calm seas and minimum cloudy days. F

For some time, since I became involved in ISEC studies (Earth Port, GEO Node, Apex Anchor, Earth Port updates), I felt that there are additional factors to be considered in “fixing” these key locations. Based on my experience in the transportation industry as a seaport facilities developer, I believe that the methodology, security, and time from payload origin to Access City to Earth Port to Tether Terminus should be considered. Another key factor, discussed during a 2016 ISEC Conference mini-workshop on Earth Port location criteria, was the availability of space in geosynchronous orbit for the GEO Node. Further, as a strategy emerges for linking the Elevator Transportation System with the Space Elevator Enterprise, the Galactic Harbour, the business climate of the city in which the HQ/POC is located must also be a determining factor.

As a result of these considerations, and others, I prepared and presented to the attendees of the 2017 ISEC Conference in Seattle this month a paper entitled: “Earth Port Access City, The Case for Honolulu, HI” In this paper, I developed a rationale for eliminating the Galapagos site and the City of San Diego as “preferred” locations for future Space Elevator facilities. In their stead, I identified a region of equatorial Pacific Ocean near Kiritimati (“Christmas”) Island as the best location for the initial Earth Port. This site would be served a HQ/POC located in or near Honolulu, Hawaii as the Earth Port Access City. The specific recommendations to the ISEC Board of Directors and the ISEC community that I made are as follows:

• The Earth Port Access City should be shown as a key element of the Space Elevator System,
• The HQ/POC should be located in or near the Earth Port Access City,
• The new preferred Earth Port location should be located in the Mid-Pacific Ocean at approximately 0⁰ N, 154⁰ 05’W south of…
• Honolulu, Hawaii, on the island of Oahu, the Earth Port Access City

Vern Hall, Earth Port Harbor Master

BIS Space Elevator Symposium : 7th November 2017

This 1-day Space Elevator (SE) Symposium was held at the headquarters of the British Interplanetary Society (BIS) at 'Arthur C Clarke House' in London, jointly sponsored by BIS and ISEC.

Nine fascinating presentations were made during the course of the day, with all well received by a small but keenly interested audience: in particular the Skype presentations by key ISEC representatives ran smoothly, enabling explanation of key concepts by three greatly experienced SE proponents.

Talks ranged from SE history to technical details of SE concepts, including new work on SE options throughout the solar system. Of particular interest was the news from Adrian Nixon of a breakthrough in graphene production techniques, offering the tempting prospect of a feasible strong material for an Earth Elevator system.

In more detail:

1.        John Knapman introduced the concept of the Space Elevator, describing the rationale, history, current architecture concepts, physics and challenges. He introduced ISEC, and concluded with 'Final Thoughts' from various thinkers.

2.        Martin Lades (on a day trip from Germany) presented detailed analysis on critical feasibility criteria, with emphasis on climber power, payload and tether interface issues. Tether friction was shown to be as critical as strength, and a significant proportion of early climber payloads could have to be allocated to tether construction and maintenance. He followed this with a second talk on Mars Elevators, specifically the 'Omaha Trail' concept. Unfortunately, there was insufficient time to complete this second presentation.

3.        Mark Haase presented (via Skype) on 'Advances in High Strength Materials', describing multiple materials using an Ashby Plot before focusing on descriptions of Carbon Nanotubes (CNT), Graphene and Boron Nitride materials. He concluded that the required 25 MYuri would be achieved in 'about 20 years', and would be a CNT-polymer composite. Much further research on cross-linking and polymer interfacing is required.

4.        Peter Robinson described a simple analysis technique that has enabled rapid review of SE feasibility on multiple locations in the Solar System. Of the eight major planets, only the Earth and Mars would be feasible, but both require new materials. L1-type elevators could be built on many moons using current materials: an SE on the Earth's Moon would be at least 80,000km long, so not ideal for technology demonstration. The least challenging location would be on a large asteroid: Vesta was selected as optimum, with a tether 750km long.

5.        Adrian Nixon outlined his experience and current activity specializing in graphene, and went on to describe the specific material requirements for a strong SE tether material. He explained how current graphene manufacture yielded individual nanoplatelets with little overall strength, and described new techniques for making far stronger continuous graphene sheets using Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD). He concluded that development of CVD production techniques would yield graphene material of the strength required for the (Earth) SE, describing in-orbit combination and how graphene addresses some anticipated SE operational issues.

6.        ISEC President Pete Swan presented (via Skype) on the 'Galactic Harbour: Half Way to Anywhere'. He described current Space Elevator concepts, history and lexicon, followed by a description of past and current IAA and ISEC studies. He described the potential future activities at and around the Earth Port, GEO Node and Apex Anchor locations, and concluded with his Unifying Vision of Space Elevators as a Galactic Harbour.

7.        Ian Woolard presented his concept for Safe Space Fountains for low cost orbital launch. He outlined a dynamic structure that could be built using existing materials, arguing that a smaller system (80km high) could avoid the safety and cost concerns surrounding other Launch Loop proposals. He explained that dynamic analysis had addressed stability concerns, and estimated that a launch cost of GBP 160/kg to LEO could be achieved. Funding is required to enable small-scale demonstration.

8.        David Raitt presented (via Skype) on a 'Short History of Space Elevators'. He described the detailed rationale, history and pioneers of the SE concept, followed by examples of literature and artwork. He then covered the scientific work from the 1990s onwards, detailing various conferences, sessions and competitions. He described press and on-line publications over the last 20 years, and concluded by confirming that 'Tomorrow Never Comes … The future is the History of Tomorrow' !

9.        John Knapman closed the Symposium by describing the current state of Space Elevator research. He described material research status, climber design & power concepts, hazards & maintenance, and the 'High Stage One' and 'Multi-Stage' Elevator concepts. He then outlined the current ISEC project on building a simulation package to model dynamics, electrodynamics and radiation behavior. He concluded by outlining the recent JBIS publication and described the research work in progress by ISEC, in Japan and in China.

Thanks must be given to BIS for their friendly and faultless hosting of the event at their small and intimate venue, with seamless technical support ... and of course excellent catering!

This summary presents only an outline of the presentations, and may omit or misrepresent some of the work. PDF copies of all papers (except #7) will be available from BIS or ISEC in due course.

Peter Robinson   November 2017

Upcoming Space Elevator Related Events:

National Space Society

International Space Development Conference

Los Angeles, CA, USA May 24-27 2018

Space Elevator Track

Web Site for more information: http://isdc.nss.org/2018/

International Space Elevator Consortium

Space Elevator Conference 2018

Seattle Museum of Flight (Tentative)

Late August 2018 - Final date is TBD

Season of Giving

President’s Request