An Idea...

On Jun 01, 2007, at 05:54 UTC, Dave Handwerk wrote:

> I actually have such an idea and have presented it to
> NASA and was turned down. It is proprietary so I can
> not discuss any details other than to say that it is a
> new material of tremendous strength-to-weight. I call
> it 'Super*Beam' or 'S*Beam'. ... Anyway, when fully
> extended, the crane rises up 160 or so Km. and slowly
> arches over, to parallel the surface of the ocean
> below for 1,100 Km.
> ...
> Anyway I am still trying to find funding and my next
> try is an SBIR Phase 1 proposal to NSF due June 13.

This sounds incredible -- in the literal meaning of the term, i.e., not
believable. I certainly hope it's true, but you're going to have a
hard time getting people to give you money based on such amazing
claims. Much better to build something -- even a very small something
-- that demonstrates the material properties, and then get funding not
for the space-launch crane, but for much more mundane uses. There
should be a LOT of uses for such an amazing new material, and you
should be able to make buckets and buckets of money, after which you
can fund the space launch system out of your pocket.

Good luck!

- Joe

Joe Strout -- joe@...
Strout Custom Solutions