Leonard David's INSIDE OUTER SPACE

A longing look at one space elevator design.
Credit: Obayashi Corporation of Tokyo, Japan.

A novel trial-run to help design a space elevator is headed for the International Space Station, an investigation that’s onboard Japan’s H-IIB Vehicle No. 7. That cargo resupply ship is scheduled for launch from the Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture on September 11^th.

The test equipment has been produced by researchers at Shizuoka University in Japan. Japanese construction firm, Obayashi, is collaborating on the initiative.

Japanese STARS-Me (Space Tethered Autonomous Robotic Satellite-Mini Elevator)
Credit: Shizuoka University

Stretched tight

Once free in space, the test involves a small box that will move along a cable some 30 feet (10 meters) long, suspended between two cubesats to keep the cable stretched tight.

Cameras on the mini-satellites are to monitor the movement of the motorized box.

Climber makes it way up lengthy space elevator.
Credit: Frank Chase/Chase Design Studios

Elevator cable

Obayashi engineers have been working on space elevator concepts for many years.

The construction firm has plans to put in place a space elevator by 2050 with a capacity to carry 100-ton “climbers.”

In conceptual terms, Obayashi engineers envision the space elevator composed of a 60,000 mile (96,000 kilometer) carbon nanotube cable, attached to a floating Earth Port, along with a 12,500-ton counter-weight.

Critical testing

The upcoming experiment reminds us that testing in space is critical to progress in major projects, said Pete Swan, President of the International Space Elevator Consortium (ISEC).

The ISEC published a study report in 2015 that laid out the architectural process for development of the Space Elevator. In the report, the authors dealt with the tether climber testing – in space:

“….. each segment (of space elevator) must ‘demonstrate’ that the Climber Segment holds the necessary mature technologies and validated engineering approaches for the design and development activity within the planning phase. Over the course of time, leading to the culminating demonstrations, the Space Elevator team will show that the Climber can do what it needs to do while buttressed by the test data gathered along the way.”

Courtesy: Sky Line

‘The upcoming tether satellite and climber demonstration by the researchers at Shizuoka University and other institutions will fulfill a necessary engineering test along the way to space elevator operations, even this early in the mega-project called the Space Elevator,” Swan told Inside Outer Space.

For more information on the International Space Elevator Consortium, go to:

https://isec.org/

To stretch your mind a bit take a look at this Obayashi video on the space elevator:

https://www.obayashi.co.jp/en/news/detail/the_space_elevator_construction_concept.html

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