Collaborative web site for engineering development

In a message dated 1/7/01 7:22:05 AM Eastern Standard Time,
mejames@... writes:

<< The inspiration for touching base with you was the discussion a
while back
about building a Bernal Sphere in cyberspace...that seems to me to a
compelling public outreach tool. Other than that I would be keen on
doing
general research.

Cheers

Dave

Hope this helps.
Mitchell James
>>

Yep, I originally posted that. As for the reasons one might want to have a
space colony. Besides solar power satellites, one potential project would be
a space elevator. A cable made out of nanotubes would be strong enough to
support its own weight from geocentric orbit to the ground and some nanotubes
are already being made in the laboratory. One assumption we should make is
that there is some sort of second generation shuttle capable of making 20 to
50 flights per year and once we have that we can really get going on building
a space colony. To build a space elevator we would need to mine asteroids and
process the carbon into nanotubes making a cable that lowers itself from
geocentric orbit, and extends in the upward ditection as well to maintain the
center of gravity.

Tom Kalbfus