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Ideally, space elevators will lead people into orbit through vehicles on a cable attached to the Earth and a stationary mass in space. A team of Japanese researchers will perform the first test to see if such a thing is possible. ( pixabay )
A Japanese team of researchers will perform this month's first feasibility test on space elevators, concretizing the futuristic concept of science fiction.
The concept of space lift has been formulated as a possible alternative to rockets to bring people into space because rocket launches are costly and pollute the atmosphere. Will space lifts be the next big thing in space travel?
What are space lifts?
The idea of the space elevator was first proposed in 1895 by Konstantin Tsiolkovsky after the Russian scientist had seen the Eiffel Tower in Paris. He felt that a similar structure could be built high enough to take passengers in space.
The concept has since appeared in various science fiction books and movies, but it is the Russian engineer Yuri Artsutanov who has studied the feasibility of space lifts in real life.
Ideally, space elevators will need to be connected to the earth by a cable, probably near the equator, to reduce the risk of being damaged by hurricanes or tornadoes and by a stationary mass in space, such as the International Space Station. The connection will allow electromagnetic vehicles to climb into space, bringing workers and equipment into orbit. It will also be a much cheaper option for space tourists, compared to driving on a rocket powered spacecraft.
There are many challenges to realizing space lifts in real life. No material has proved sufficiently resistant to the cable and the effects on the human body of the elevator in the space remain uncertain.
Space elevator test in Japan
A team of researchers from Shizuoka University will be the first to conduct an experiment to test the feasibility of space elevators, taking into account all the challenges that hinder the concept.
The space elevator experience however will not be complete and will not transport human living in space. Instead, a rocket that will be launched by the Japanese Space Agency on September 11 will have a miniature version of a space elevator as one of its passengers.
The miniature extension of the space elevator will measure only 6 centimeters long, 3 centimeters wide and 3 centimeters high. The researchers will observe how it will move in space along a 10-meter cable that will connect two small satellites.
"This will be the first experience in the world to test the movement of elevators in space," said a spokesman for Shizuoka University.
In 2014, the Japanese construction company Obayashi said that she would build a space elevator by 2050. The company is collaborating with the Shizuoka University to carry out this project.
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