Re:Space Elevators Are Possible
by flurdy on Wednesday February 26, 2014 @05:04AM
(#7303969)
That would assume you could adjust all the satellites' orbits. Whilst some satellites have proper propulsion, I think many just have minor systems to only adjust their rotation, and a lot have none. And don't forget all the dead ones that are orbiting space junk.
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Re:Space Elevators Are Possible
by InclinedPlane on Wednesday February 26, 2014 @07:13PM
(#7309304)
So you decommission and deorbit anything that can't be controlled. Once you have a functional beanstalk the entire cost/benefit of doing everything in space changes. It becomes a lot easier to put things in orbit and it becomes a lot more important to keep the beanstalk up.