Full Description
Michel van Pelt explains for the first time the principle of space tethers: what they are and how they can be used in space. He introduces non-technical space enthusiasts to the various possibilities and feasibility of space tethers including the technological challenges and potential benefits. He illustrates how, because of their inherent simplicity, space tethers have the potential to make space travel much cheaper, while ongoing advances in tether material technology may make even seemingly far-fetched ideas a reality in the not too distant future.
Contents
Preface.- Introduction.- Limits to Rocket Propulsion.- New Materials.- Tether Types.- Early Experiments.- Into Space.- 12,000,000th Floor: Space.- Earth Orbit.- Spacecraft Stabilization.- Changing Momentum.- Generating Electrical Power.- Into the Solar System.- Technological Challenges.- Conclusion.- Glossary.- Bibliography.- Books and Reports.- Papers, articles and presentations.- Webpages.
