Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!harpo!seismo!hao!hplabs!sri-unix!REM@MIT-MC
From: REM%MIT-MC@sri-unix.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.space
Subject: Re: space elevators -- another advantage
Message-ID: <12849@sri-arpa.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 21-Oct-83 09:05:00 EDT
Article-I.D.: sri-arpa.12849
Posted: Fri Oct 21 09:05:00 1983
Date-Received: Wed, 26-Oct-83 03:29:49 EDT
Lines: 9

From:  Robert Elton Maas <REM @ MIT-MC>

Indeed, if a space elevator (or rotating skyhook) is designed to
recover energy on descending payloads, then it would be
self-supporting energywise because when we start processing asteroids
for Earth-consumed materials more stuff will be coming to Earth than
leaving Earth on the elevator/hook, and with reasonable efficiency the
energy recovered from descending materials should exceed the energy
needed for ascending people and equipment.