Polar Space Elevator

Software Development/Government Design

What if we explored building a space elevator at exactly the top of the rotational axis at the north or south pole? It could be attached to a tower with a rotating element that is loaded with strong magnets. The earth would rotate while the rotating element stayed fixed due to being fixed to the mass on the end of the elevator that is being dragged with the earth around the sun. The rotating element of the elevator would ensure that the line does not get pulled by the earth's rotation towards the equator. The elevator could be attached to a tall tower so the line would stay above the ground all the way into space. The near horizontal orientation of the elevator would mean low fuel costs for traveling into space. If the tilt of the earth interferes during some parts of the year, then you could detach the elevator on one pole and reattach the elevator at the other pole as the seasons change. Rotation against the force of the magnets could generate electricity that drives electrolosys of ocean water so that energy could be stored in hydrogen.

Should Space Decentral develope this concept further? Is it flawed?

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Mikkel R HAAHEIM

Concepts Development, Organisation, Operations Specialist

As I explained when you posted the concept on the FaceBook page, this would not work. The weighted end, being tethered to the Earth, would eventually match Earth's inertial frame of reference, at which point it would start falling toward the Earth.

The exception to this would be under conditions where it is under the influence of another gravitational field, more than it is influenced by the Earth's gravitational field. The shortest distance where this could occur would be the Earth/Moon L2 point.

Jason Stone

Software Development/Government Design

If the tower did not have a rotating portion that stayed fixed while the earth rotated beneath it, then it would tend to fall toward the equator. However, with the tower spinning freely while the earth rotates beneath it, I think the elevator would tend to go parallel to the ecliptic, where if you projected it onto the ecliptic it would tend toward being tangent to the ecliptic. The earth is moving around the sun in an elliptical path that requires a constant change in direction, this combined with the mass of the earth creates a powerful force that I think will drag the mass on the end of the elevator in a way that prevents it from collapsing toward the equator.

Marc M. Cohen

Founder of Space Architecture as a Discipline

Jason,
Parallel to the Ecliptic with one end tethered at the pole is identical, or nearly identical in meaning to falling toward the equator. Starting from the pole, every direction on the Earth's surface is toward the equator.

Marc

Marc M. Cohen

Founder of Space Architecture as a Discipline

Jason,
I believe that the answer to your question Why not build a space elevator at the north or south pole? is that it is a question of simple orbital mechanics. What makes the conventional concepts of an equatorial space elevator work in principle is that the mass at the top is in geosynchronous (also known as geostationary) orbit. This orbit is a circular orbit 35,786 km (22,236 mi) above Earth's equator and following the direction of Earth's rotation. The orbit can be geosynchronous and circular only at the equator. What that means is that the mass at the top stays in free-fall around the Earth, revolving at the same rate of degrees per secons as the surface of the Earth at the equator.

If you attempted to locate the mass at the top of the space elevator above the north or south pole at any altitude, it would simply fall down to the Earth's surface because it would not be in a self-sustaining free-fall revolving about the Earth.

Marc

Ethan Scott

If there were no humor, life would be tragic.

Nice concept though. But I don't think with our current level of tech, it is possible to build a space elevator.

Suzana Bianco

Space Architect

Jason, this is a great example of outside-the-box thinking! Although it wouldn´t exactly work as you envisioned it, as explained by Mikkel and Marc, it is great to see you flushing out new ideas, even when you are not sure if they would work. I myself do a lot of what if brainstorming, and in the end there is always something useful that can be appropriated from these ideas. Keep this up, we can use free thinkers like you!

As for what can be taken from this particular idea? Maybe there is a way to use the Earth´s rotation to produce energy, that is certainly something to look into!

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