Bye bye Space Elevator

--- In spacesettlers@yahoogroups.com, wrote:
>
> a balloon wont do what? hang around up there and not "fall"?
>

sorry no. the balloon would require constant maintenance. it would
lose gas on a constant bases since there is no material that usual-
able that is completely airtight. also at that altitude it would
constantly be at risk to tiny meteroids that constantly bombard our
atmosphere and burn up. even one would require maintenance or the
balloon would fall. also the balloon would require the atmosphere to
be able to stay up. this would block the ability of anything inside
the gondola from being able to see to the side, and the balloon would
block its ability to see upwards. this removes a large amount of the
usefulness of the satellite. the fact that the wind would cause it to
constantly be moving, unless you carry a considerable amount of fuel,
in unpredictable directions takes away the ability of it to be used
for naviagation and communications. any use for military would be
short term.

> it may be huge, but it would seem that a balloon could stay up in
definitely floating on upper levels of atmosphere .... moving from
one spot over the earth to another doesnt require any high speed per
say, albeit the movement would be appropriately slow. Of course the
ISS is somewhat ungainly and hardly aero dynamic and yet whips around
at 15,000+ mph. Although a higher elevation than the 140,000 base
suggested altitude.

the difference in the altitude is what takes away the need for aero
dynamics. it will not hit the atmosphere and survive. that means it
can travel at 15000+ mph.

>
> For the moment it seem more attainable than space elevator
dreams...

it depends on what your trying to do. a short (week at the most)
flight at that altitude would not be out of the question. if your
looking at something that is suppose to be there for years, then its
about the same chance as the space elevator.