MPI has been supporting How Wachspress, an inventor who holds a Patent and
has done many experiments that suggest a free-flying magnetic levitator can
become practical, and provide a better path to access to space.
A levitator can be designed to take off and land at ordinary airports, using
the geomagnetic field as the stator of a very clever electric motor. The
geomagnetic field can be used for braking, eliminating the need for heat
shields.
The story had a writeup some years back in Aviation Week and Space
Technology.
The early designs have been superseded. New patents will be filed.
A first product may be a sounding rocket replacement.
Eventually, with the use of Ultraconductors, passengers can likely be
carried.
We anticipate that electricity for the propulsion system will be supplied by
our Magnetic Power Modules.
From: Jed Rothwell <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Reply-To: Jed Rothwell <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: Small Nuclear Power Reactors
Date: Thu, 3 Nov 2005 18:44:43 -0500 (GMT-05:00)
Frederick Sparber wrote:
>Based on A. C. Clarke's reasoning we should be using that idea for Boeing
777s
> and Airbuses full of passengers.
That would be very difficult and dangerous to arrange, whereas a space
elevator must have some sort of braking, so it might as well be
regenerative.
Incidentally, I do not think the elevator car would actually touch the
track. That would be too slow. I am assuming it would be magnetic. In that
case, you could not avoid generating power by braking.
> OTOH, failing that, Air Brakes for Planes and Vacuum Brakes for
Spacecraft?
Again, that's dangerous and impractical, whereas regenerative braking is
natural. Without it, the elevator cars will need to shed a great deal of
heat, in a vacuum no less.
>> stresses they undergo during spaceflight. A vehicle climbing the space
>> elevator would undergo little stress.
>
> Burt Rutan would dispute that, Jed.
I admire Rutan, but he is FAR from making a practical earth-to-orbit system
that could lift millions of tons per day. Frankly, I think we are closer to
a space elevator than a Rutan-type mass transit system. Someday, in the
distant future, I expect that more people and more tons of goods will
travel off earth and around the solar system than alll the traffic we now
have on the ground. That can only be accomplished with something like an
elevator -- or silent anti-gravity ships that go straight up.
- Jed
