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A comment on Space-based solar power is getting serious–can it solve Earth’s energy woes?. Parent comment

Re:Space-based solar power is getting serious–can it solve E... by jtbayly on Sunday October 23, 2022 @08:40AM (#33306482)
What kind of cable material do we have that can support its own weight for that many miles vertically?
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Re:Space-based solar power is getting serious–can it solve E... by elif on Sunday October 23, 2022 @09:43AM (#33306947)
My man said copper XD
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Re:Space-based solar power is getting serious–can it solve E... by Schroedingersat on Sunday October 23, 2022 @11:29AM (#33307713)
Copper is not strong enough, and steel isn't quite strong enough to hold itself up with constant cross section.

Carbon fiber is, or you could just have a tapered steel or aluminum cable.

The loop could be anything as it's under zero G. You'd need counterweights above it.

You only get access to the equator without some kind of bizarro maglev hula hoop contraption which would level a country if anything went wrong, and the equator doesn't really need help with solar or solar storage as PV+CSP works quite well there.

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