- #1
Prophet
- 18
- 0
It seems to me that the concept of a space elevator does not take Coriolis force into account. If the elevator were in built with a space station in geosynchronous orbit and counterweight then there is more to reaching the space station than just climbing the rope. The rope would have to be anchored to the Earth at the equator and at the start of the climb would be moving approximately 1000 mph eastward. If memory serves geosynchronous orbit is about 25,000 miles from the center of the Earth and the space station would be moving eastward at over 6000 mph. I don't see how the elevator can gain that additional 5000 mph simply by climbing the rope.
I have read one article that acknowledges the Coriolis problem but they claim the effect is slight, simply pulling the rope slightly our of line. I don't think so.
I think you need to use Hamiltonian mechanics, not Newtonian mechanics, to solve but it's been over 40 years since I studied Hamiltonian mechanics.
Is NASA actually spending taxpayer money on this idea?
I have read one article that acknowledges the Coriolis problem but they claim the effect is slight, simply pulling the rope slightly our of line. I don't think so.
I think you need to use Hamiltonian mechanics, not Newtonian mechanics, to solve but it's been over 40 years since I studied Hamiltonian mechanics.
Is NASA actually spending taxpayer money on this idea?