Hello Terry.

15 Jul 04 21:58, you wrote to Mark Lewis:

 TV> I think a bigger worry will be all the sight-seeing flights.
 TV> An 'elevator into space' is something everyone will want to see
 TV> for themselves - close up.
 TV> Considering the cost of the darn thing, I suspect they'll have
 TV> to totally ban all aircraft within a hundred miles of it - especially
 TV> as it will be essentially invisible.

like a radio mast only taller.  a red and white paint-job and some blinking
lights, and maybe a few corner reflectors to make it stand out on RADAR
should be enough.

As I see it, it's likely to be thicker around the trunk than the body of an airliner

 TV> And, of course, how will they deal with all the orbiting junk
 TV> at the level of the top-side station?

top side (actually the middle if the string) will be in geosyncrounous
orbit so there shouldn't bee too much junk  approacing it at speed.

further out (towards the counter weight) there won't be much at all,
practically noone pays to send stuff out past the clarke orbit.

lower down is where the risks are. they'll need some serious armour plating.

it'll be a looney magnet too, that could be a real problem.

Jasen

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