[PW] Tallest and most impossible building question

[Sea Wasp]

Charles Early wrote:
> The space elevator would need to be more than 23,000 miles high, probably a 
> lot higher, so that centrifugal force from the upper part is strong enough 
> to hold it up (roughly speaking).  A typical height would be around 100,000 
> km (60,000 miles).  According to a commercial I saw for a program on the 
> Discovery Channel, the elevator trip to the top would take about three 
> months, during which the passengers would be in danger of being hit by 
> meteorites -- if the music didn't get them first.

	They'd be in virtually no danger from meteorites unless the car were 
made of something awfully flimsy, since the likelihood of any 
significant impact is tiny. And three months? That's an AWFULLY slow 
car, moving about 46mph. I'd think they could at least reach bullet 
train speeds, cutting that trip down to more like three WEEKS.


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                      Sea Wasp
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