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From: henry@utzoo.UUCP (Henry Spencer)
Newsgroups: net.space
Subject: Re: Sixty Cents a Pound?
Message-ID: <4653@utzoo.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 17-Nov-84 19:58:04 EST
Article-I.D.: utzoo.4653
Posted: Sat Nov 17 19:58:04 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 17-Nov-84 19:58:04 EST
References: <1062@inuxc.UUCP>, <15700013@uiucdcsb.UUCP>
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology
Lines: 13

> I'd also like to see discussion of the economics of a "beanstalk": a
> (very very VERY) strong set of cables from geosynch to ground.

Beanstalk economics look excellent, apart from horrendous capital cost.
The problem is that capital cost cannot even be estimated right now,
since we have no idea how to make the super-strong materials needed for
an orthodox beanstalk.  They are theoretically possible, but not even
the strongest materials seen in the laboratory are good enough, to say
nothing of things that are in volume production.  And forty thousand
kilometers of cable is very definitely volume production.
-- 
				Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology
				{allegra,ihnp4,linus,decvax}!utzoo!henry