Post by Ravished Improbability on May 12, 2017 3:14:04 GMT
The Space Elevator makes routine space travel much safer and cheaper by simply slowing it down to reasonable speeds. No more need to race up to avoid wasting all your fuel against the gravity. No more taxing your crew and fragile cargo with accelerations of 3 to 4 gravities, or even higher. The high energy trip is stretched to a more leisurely seven and a half hour trip at 1/50th of gravity of acceleration. The low acceleration makes for a comfortable trip up the 35800 km tether to the geostationary station with passengers and cargo experiencing no more than a 2% increase in weight.
The elevator has 4 lanes for climbers divided so that two lanes go up and two go down. Each climber can lift upwards of 250 tonnes of cargo into geostationary orbit, with maximum annual lift just shy of 2.2 million tonnes. Total through put is double that as stuff is sent down as well.
Powerful traction motors pull the climbers up the tether. To keep the weight of the climber down and tap into the greater power efficiency of larger reactors; the cables supply power the bulk of the power for the climbers on the way up and absorb the power on the way down. Backup power is stored inside a large super conductor ring and inside the large capacitors that smooth out the power tapped from the cables. Regenerative breaking is used on the way down with the power being dumped into the tether.
In case of disaster the climbers have reliable and low maintenance hybrid rockets that can be used to shove the climber clear of the cable, and if possible shove the climber into a stable orbit. If not the rockets can be used to push the climber onto a safe decent profile. the climber has an inflatable heat shield that doubles as an airbag for impact and triples as the primary flotation device for water landings. Externally carried cargo is jettisoned before climber separation to activate there own emergency recovery procedures.
The climbers are design to be easily detached from and attached to the cables to keep the tracks clear during the loading and unloading process. The interior at at ends of the tether are much like a round railroad switch yard with the climbers rotated onto different side tracks inside to load and off load their cargo. Some forty climbers can be prepared for ascending the tether under the huge weather dome surrounding the base of the tether.
The standard cargo climber can lift between 8 and 24 space rated intermodal containers. Sealed and pressurized cargo lifters can carry supplies to large to fit inside the standard shipping containers such as large parts and construction equipment. Massively oversized cargos can be attached to the outside of skeletonized climbers. Passenger climbers can lift between 500 and 1000 passengers depending on class. Mixed luxury and economy climbers carry about 750 passengers across their 8 levels.
The Mid Atlantic Starport
The artificial floating island is fully functioning city of the CCSS with each of the four outer towers serving a different function. The central tether anchor and surrounding towers are of the spar configuration with the deep keel providing excellent stability for the skyscraper sized towers. Linked together by the central disk the island gains the additional stability advantages of a pontoon configuration. The starport is built with taller than standard ceilings in public areas to better accommodate the Ka'Rlfn security.
The top of the central disk serves as a flight deck for the numerous STOL hybrid airships that air lift the cargo and passengers to and from the starport. The 20 levels under the flight deck is primarily used for cargo storage; and the maintenance and construction of climbers.
To the East in the direction of the rising sun is the tower nicknamed the Sun Temple do to the large sensor dome mounted on top and sloping ramp leading nearly to the top of the pyramidal pedestal. The Sun Temple is governmental and military tower of the starport. The base of the tower is the naval dock for servicing the Ka'Rlfn and CSN fleet detachments.
The Ka'Rlfn fleet serving as security for the starport consists of the refitted USS Ronald Reagan and 8 Halifax-class frigates. The CCSS starport defense fleet consists of 2 modernized Montana-class battleships, 2 modernized Alaska-class cruisers, and 8 modernized Zumwalt-class destroyers operated and crewed by the CSN Society of Creative Realistic Anachronistic Warfare Navy (SCRAWNy).
Beyond the naval ships, the starport's external defenses comprises of a large suite of defensive missiles, lasers, railguns, and gauss cannons emplacements. Internal security is handled primarily by the Ka'Rlfn though a company of SG Raiders is available to back up the Station Guards on customs and emigrations duty.
The light house on the south end is the residential tower. The tower is over 100 stories tall with the top 20 forming the light house beacon. Inside the gem like beacon are observation decks and restaurants for guest to enjoy a panoramic view. The hotel tower provides rooms for both people arriving and leaving. In house kitchen and medical center allow for service at all hours without needing to travel over to the west tower.
The lower levels of the light house house a fitness center, gift shop, pool, and spa center. Accommodations for the permanent residents of the starport are located inside of the base. Extending out from the lighthouse at sea level is a large pier for cruise ships and other passenger ships to dock.
To the West is the Long House that serves as the starport's commercial district. The upper floors and outer most areas are devoted to agriculture to provide a fresh locally ground food crops. Inside is a large mall that caters to just about any need. The rental costs the the shops decrease the lower down in the long house one goes. At close to sea level the quality of the establishments get down to places that only a sailor or soldier would care to visit. The docks at the base of the west tower are set up to service container ships.
Finally to the north is the industrial tower nicknamed the vault for the large slab sides covered in various radiators and other coolers. The inside of the tower has processors to liquify and separate air, break down sea water, and process the various trash created in the day to day operations of the starport. The port facility at the base of the North tower set up to primarily handle tanker ships and bulk haulers.
The central tower houses all the systems for handling the Earth end of the tether. Protected underwater and heavily armored against explosions is the starport's primary fusion reactor. Emergency venting of the reactor is through underwater ports aligned to the intercardinal points so as the avoid cooking the highly populated towers and to maximize the amount of water available to safely dissipate the tremendous energy. Above and below the reactor are the ballast tanks that weigh down the starport. Just above sea level are the tension control systems that keeps the cables forming the tether stable and balanced. Under the dome is the climber assembly area where the various climbers are loaded and ready to take a trip up the tether. At the center of the dome is the cone shape turntable that allows the forty different tracks array radially around the dome to index to any of the tracks on the tether.
To create a safe harbor around the starport a large circular breakwater 9 kilometers in diameter is built around it to create a large region of water calm enough for ships to safely anchor and dock even during the worst storms. Various buoys and marinas scattered outside the main sea lanes inside the breakwater allows ships to safely 'anchor' away from the starport
The elevator has 4 lanes for climbers divided so that two lanes go up and two go down. Each climber can lift upwards of 250 tonnes of cargo into geostationary orbit, with maximum annual lift just shy of 2.2 million tonnes. Total through put is double that as stuff is sent down as well.
Powerful traction motors pull the climbers up the tether. To keep the weight of the climber down and tap into the greater power efficiency of larger reactors; the cables supply power the bulk of the power for the climbers on the way up and absorb the power on the way down. Backup power is stored inside a large super conductor ring and inside the large capacitors that smooth out the power tapped from the cables. Regenerative breaking is used on the way down with the power being dumped into the tether.
In case of disaster the climbers have reliable and low maintenance hybrid rockets that can be used to shove the climber clear of the cable, and if possible shove the climber into a stable orbit. If not the rockets can be used to push the climber onto a safe decent profile. the climber has an inflatable heat shield that doubles as an airbag for impact and triples as the primary flotation device for water landings. Externally carried cargo is jettisoned before climber separation to activate there own emergency recovery procedures.
The climbers are design to be easily detached from and attached to the cables to keep the tracks clear during the loading and unloading process. The interior at at ends of the tether are much like a round railroad switch yard with the climbers rotated onto different side tracks inside to load and off load their cargo. Some forty climbers can be prepared for ascending the tether under the huge weather dome surrounding the base of the tether.
The standard cargo climber can lift between 8 and 24 space rated intermodal containers. Sealed and pressurized cargo lifters can carry supplies to large to fit inside the standard shipping containers such as large parts and construction equipment. Massively oversized cargos can be attached to the outside of skeletonized climbers. Passenger climbers can lift between 500 and 1000 passengers depending on class. Mixed luxury and economy climbers carry about 750 passengers across their 8 levels.
The Mid Atlantic Starport
The artificial floating island is fully functioning city of the CCSS with each of the four outer towers serving a different function. The central tether anchor and surrounding towers are of the spar configuration with the deep keel providing excellent stability for the skyscraper sized towers. Linked together by the central disk the island gains the additional stability advantages of a pontoon configuration. The starport is built with taller than standard ceilings in public areas to better accommodate the Ka'Rlfn security.
The top of the central disk serves as a flight deck for the numerous STOL hybrid airships that air lift the cargo and passengers to and from the starport. The 20 levels under the flight deck is primarily used for cargo storage; and the maintenance and construction of climbers.
To the East in the direction of the rising sun is the tower nicknamed the Sun Temple do to the large sensor dome mounted on top and sloping ramp leading nearly to the top of the pyramidal pedestal. The Sun Temple is governmental and military tower of the starport. The base of the tower is the naval dock for servicing the Ka'Rlfn and CSN fleet detachments.
The Ka'Rlfn fleet serving as security for the starport consists of the refitted USS Ronald Reagan and 8 Halifax-class frigates. The CCSS starport defense fleet consists of 2 modernized Montana-class battleships, 2 modernized Alaska-class cruisers, and 8 modernized Zumwalt-class destroyers operated and crewed by the CSN Society of Creative Realistic Anachronistic Warfare Navy (SCRAWNy).
Beyond the naval ships, the starport's external defenses comprises of a large suite of defensive missiles, lasers, railguns, and gauss cannons emplacements. Internal security is handled primarily by the Ka'Rlfn though a company of SG Raiders is available to back up the Station Guards on customs and emigrations duty.
The light house on the south end is the residential tower. The tower is over 100 stories tall with the top 20 forming the light house beacon. Inside the gem like beacon are observation decks and restaurants for guest to enjoy a panoramic view. The hotel tower provides rooms for both people arriving and leaving. In house kitchen and medical center allow for service at all hours without needing to travel over to the west tower.
The lower levels of the light house house a fitness center, gift shop, pool, and spa center. Accommodations for the permanent residents of the starport are located inside of the base. Extending out from the lighthouse at sea level is a large pier for cruise ships and other passenger ships to dock.
To the West is the Long House that serves as the starport's commercial district. The upper floors and outer most areas are devoted to agriculture to provide a fresh locally ground food crops. Inside is a large mall that caters to just about any need. The rental costs the the shops decrease the lower down in the long house one goes. At close to sea level the quality of the establishments get down to places that only a sailor or soldier would care to visit. The docks at the base of the west tower are set up to service container ships.
Finally to the north is the industrial tower nicknamed the vault for the large slab sides covered in various radiators and other coolers. The inside of the tower has processors to liquify and separate air, break down sea water, and process the various trash created in the day to day operations of the starport. The port facility at the base of the North tower set up to primarily handle tanker ships and bulk haulers.
The central tower houses all the systems for handling the Earth end of the tether. Protected underwater and heavily armored against explosions is the starport's primary fusion reactor. Emergency venting of the reactor is through underwater ports aligned to the intercardinal points so as the avoid cooking the highly populated towers and to maximize the amount of water available to safely dissipate the tremendous energy. Above and below the reactor are the ballast tanks that weigh down the starport. Just above sea level are the tension control systems that keeps the cables forming the tether stable and balanced. Under the dome is the climber assembly area where the various climbers are loaded and ready to take a trip up the tether. At the center of the dome is the cone shape turntable that allows the forty different tracks array radially around the dome to index to any of the tracks on the tether.
To create a safe harbor around the starport a large circular breakwater 9 kilometers in diameter is built around it to create a large region of water calm enough for ships to safely anchor and dock even during the worst storms. Various buoys and marinas scattered outside the main sea lanes inside the breakwater allows ships to safely 'anchor' away from the starport