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Michael Laine, President. www.liftport.com @mlaine (862) Get-LF8D – (862) 438-5383 laine@liftport.com about.me/michaellaine www.facebook.com/liftport. This Way to the Stars. Sic Itur Ad Astra. Space Elevators. What How Why Get Involved. What. Goal : Terrestrial Space Elevator
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Michael Laine, President • www.liftport.com • @mlaine • (862) Get-LF8D – (862) 438-5383 • laine@liftport.com • about.me/michaellaine • www.facebook.com/liftport
This Way to the Stars Sic Itur Ad Astra
Space Elevators • What • How • Why • Get Involved
What Goal: Terrestrial Space Elevator Precursor: Lunar Space Elevator Infrastructure Future: Phobos Martian Space Elevator Demonstrator: Deep Space Tether Pathfinder IncrementalDevelopment: String-Sat(s)
The view from Selene (1) Photograph courtesy JAXA/ISIS
Lunar Space Elevator Infrastructure (LSEI) Photograph courtesy NASA/JPL (to scale) Superimposed on an image of the Earth-Moon system from the Juno spacecraft; taken August 26, 2011 from 9.66 million km.
Landing Site : Sinus Medii - right in the center of the near side. Photograph courtesy NASA, Google Earth
In 1967, the unmanned Surveyor 6 landed on the other side of Sinus Medii. Here is what the surface looked like. Photograph courtesy NASA/JPL
+ Photograph courtesy NASA from LROC Web Page Sinus Medii - Landing Site from ~ 10 km altitude
How • Current Technologies • Rockets • Robotics • Communications • Computing • Materials! • Sputnik-like Simplicity • Single Launch Solution
What are we trying to do ? • There has been much discussion in the last 50 years of space exploration using megastructures. • A structure, deployed in space, designed to facilitate our access to space and our use of space resources. • With current technology, these will be built of strings. • We feel that the time is right to begin building and using these devices, using existing materials. • Quicken the pace of space exploration and development. • Build operational experience and engineering know-how. • Preparation for an eventual terrestrial space elevator. 14
What is the LSEI? • A Lunar Space Elevator Infrastructure is a system built around a Ribbon reaching from the surface of the Lunar near-side, to substantially beyond the first Earth-Moon Lagrange point (EML1). • One side of the Ribbon is attached to the Lunar surface. • The other side is kept taut by a CounterWeight. (CW) • The opposing force is the gravitational tidal force of the Earth. • (Not rotational centrifugal force). • Tidal force is balanced against the gravitational force of the Moon. • The entire LSEI is in a dynamically stable Earth-Moon orbit. • The large Earth-Moon distance means that, while the dynamical forces are relatively small – to obtain sufficient tension – either a very long Ribbon or a very large CounterWeight is required. • Any prototype LSEI will be weight limited, and long. 15
LSE Science • We are focusing on science directly related to monitoring, navigating or controlling the elevator, including the Microrover and the Lunar sample return as proof of concepts. • We will use LLR retroreflectors for navigation; these also should provide solid science for decades after the landing. • We are seeking partners for science opportunities, both on the descent, with the Counterweight, and with the landing platform. • What follows is what we see as some of the science opportunities afforded by the LSE. • We feel confident that others will emerge... 16
Conclusions • The DSTP and the LSEI offer a means of • Getting to the Moon again in an entirely new fashion, using currently available technology. • The DSTP is the linch-pin for all future megastructure developments, and should provide a lunar sample return from a currently inaccessible region. • The LSEI would provide continuing access to the Lunar surface, plus sample returns and a Lunar transportation infrastructure, for the cost of a Discovery Class mission. • This is for existing fibers - while even a modest improvement in fiber technology would bring substantial improvements in payload capacity, we do not require this. • The DSTP and the LSEI offer a path to a man-rated LSE and a Phobos-anchored Mars elevator. • This is Space 2.0 : space exploration for the 21st-century, not just an attempt to repeat what was done 40 years ago. 17
The LSEI is also good science • In the prototype, a small solar powered climber will be lowered to the Lunar surface, scientific instruments will be deployed and the climber be loaded with surface samples. • The climber will then climb back to a sample return capsule, located at the EML 1 Lagrange point. • The climber plus sample return capsule will be taken to a suitable altitude above EML 1 for return to Earth. • Sample return via the LSE requires no expenditure of fuel. 18
CURRENT PRODUCTS: • Http://liftport.com/Tethered-Towers for disaster response • Robotics ASU http://www.agorastartupidol.com/startup.php?id=102 • Consulting, Teaching, Speaking Engagements, Books • Nonprofit education with LeewardSpaceFoundation.org developing Liftport.org and interns and Space Elevator Invitational, Seattle quarterly • Http://on.fb.me/Heokqx Open Source apps • Link to https://github.com/LiftportGroup/LiftPort/wiki MEDIA: http://stars-space.com art, Tours http://youtube.com/elevatortospace, film, social media
LiftPortal Web – Michelle Cadieux • IT/ Education and Mobile apps development See http://on.me.fb/Heokqx facebook fanpage for https://github.com/LiftportGroup/LiftPort/wik • Business plans for NASA Tech Partnerships, AMES, Space Frontier Foundation, Leeward Space Foundation • Business competitions: http://spaceappschallenge.org and ATT in partnership with startup hackathons, incubators and accelerators across the country. • SF: StartupIdol, Greenstart, Launch, Singularity Institute SynBio, Biocurious, AssayDepot, Twilio, Founders groups. (Proposed: Stanford StartX, 59daysofcode, codeforamerica, ) • Startup America, Random Hacks of Kindness, MassChallenge Boston, Pitch Milwaukee, MN; Project Skyway, MN Open (ycombinator- MC), Citrix, Bizspark, and more • Social media presence. Facebook, list of sites. • (Adam Glickman Quality Engineering nano projects)
Deployment • Solar Electric Propulsion • Deployment • Lawn-Darts on the Moon • Manned Lifter • PicoGravity Manufacturing Lab
Why • Greed • Clean, Green, Limitless Energy of Earth • Fear • Single Point of Failure Species • Hope • Settlement, Science, Spinoffs + Resources
Get Involved • Sum of Human Knowledge • Technology • Business • Outreach • Framework
Michael Laine, President • www.liftport.com • @mlaine • (862) Get-LF8D – (862) 438-5383 • laine@liftport.com • about.me/michaellaine • www.facebook.com/liftport