{"version":"1.0.0","segments":[{"startTime":0.058,"endTime":3.508,"body":"something like 90 to 95% of a"},{"startTime":0.058,"endTime":3.508,"body":"rocket's mass is just the fuel"},{"startTime":3.626,"endTime":8.186,"body":"carbon nanotubes, and they would have"},{"startTime":3.626,"endTime":8.186,"body":"to be perfectly manufactured to have"},{"startTime":8.196,"endTime":10.096,"body":"the highest rating of tensile strength"},{"startTime":10.125,"endTime":14.382,"body":"whole load of other issues, like needing"},{"startTime":10.125,"endTime":14.382,"body":"a neutron star to exist which is usually"},{"startTime":14.382,"endTime":15.762,"body":"a pretty big issue for a material."},{"startTime":15.806,"endTime":17.056,"body":"let's say this cable snaps."},{"startTime":17.056,"endTime":20.486,"body":"Yes, it'll still have the"},{"startTime":17.056,"endTime":20.486,"body":"centrifugal force on it, but"},{"startTime":20.697,"endTime":24.517,"body":"hello, and welcome to Entropy Rising, a"},{"startTime":20.697,"endTime":24.517,"body":"podcast all about science and futurism."},{"startTime":24.837,"endTime":27.667,"body":"I'm your host, Jacob, and"},{"startTime":24.837,"endTime":27.667,"body":"joining me is, of course, the"},{"startTime":27.687,"endTime":28.367,"body":"ever-so-wonderful"},{"startTime":28.367,"endTime":29.407,"body":"co-host, Lucas."},{"startTime":29.837,"endTime":31.027,"body":"Lucas, how are you doing today?"},{"startTime":31.137,"endTime":32.307,"body":"doing great today, Jake."},{"startTime":32.377,"endTime":33.437,"body":"You know why I'm doing great?"},{"startTime":33.567,"endTime":34.067,"body":"Why is that?"},{"startTime":34.217,"endTime":36.157,"body":"Because we get to talk"},{"startTime":34.217,"endTime":36.157,"body":"about space elevators."},{"startTime":36.352,"endTime":37.692,"body":"The tethers to the heavens."},{"startTime":37.692,"endTime":41.922,"body":"very exciting topic that has been,"},{"startTime":37.692,"endTime":41.922,"body":"visualized in many science fiction"},{"startTime":41.922,"endTime":44.682,"body":"books and games and, I think it would"},{"startTime":41.922,"endTime":44.682,"body":"be really cool to dive in and see"},{"startTime":44.682,"endTime":45.952,"body":"how they would actually function."},{"startTime":46.112,"endTime":47.012,"body":"Yeah, absolutely."},{"startTime":47.012,"endTime":51.602,"body":"This is a topic that has been on my radar"},{"startTime":47.012,"endTime":51.602,"body":"for a really long time, that I haven't"},{"startTime":51.602,"endTime":56.482,"body":"really wanted to dive into yet because,"},{"startTime":51.602,"endTime":56.482,"body":"as with so many of these topics, I just"},{"startTime":56.492,"endTime":56.712,"body":"kind of"},{"startTime":56.712,"endTime":58.472,"body":"intuitively thought not possible."},{"startTime":58.842,"endTime":59.182,"body":"Uh, but"},{"startTime":59.182,"endTime":59.382,"body":"they're,"},{"startTime":59.392,"endTime":62.582,"body":"they're more interesting than I give them"},{"startTime":59.392,"endTime":62.582,"body":"credit for, and there's more possibility"},{"startTime":62.582,"endTime":64.202,"body":"behind them than I think I first realized."},{"startTime":64.552,"endTime":67.602,"body":"So I'm excited to dive into it, share"},{"startTime":64.552,"endTime":67.602,"body":"what all we've learned about them,"},{"startTime":67.802,"endTime":71.072,"body":"and hopefully have an interesting"},{"startTime":67.802,"endTime":71.072,"body":"discussion about tethers to the heaven."},{"startTime":71.082,"endTime":72.802,"body":"Did you get that from somewhere,"},{"startTime":71.082,"endTime":72.802,"body":"or did you come up with that?"},{"startTime":73.102,"endTime":74.192,"body":"I came up with that."},{"startTime":74.392,"endTime":75.002,"body":"On the spot?"},{"startTime":75.112,"endTime":75.872,"body":"On the spot."},{"startTime":75.942,"endTime":77.032,"body":"All right, that's impressive."},{"startTime":77.122,"endTime":77.732,"body":"Thank you."},{"startTime":77.909,"endTime":82.449,"body":"orbital elevators are a key component"},{"startTime":77.909,"endTime":82.449,"body":"of a lot of science fiction,"},{"startTime":82.509,"endTime":83.979,"body":"and the reason isn't hard to see."},{"startTime":84.009,"endTime":86.939,"body":"This would be probably one of"},{"startTime":84.009,"endTime":86.939,"body":"the cheapest ways you could"},{"startTime":86.939,"endTime":88.669,"body":"possibly get cargo into orbit."},{"startTime":88.999,"endTime":92.709,"body":"and when we talk about a future of"},{"startTime":88.999,"endTime":92.709,"body":"humanity where you have more people"},{"startTime":92.719,"endTime":96.669,"body":"living in orbit than on the planet,"},{"startTime":92.719,"endTime":96.669,"body":"then having an easy way to get people"},{"startTime":96.669,"endTime":100.899,"body":"and cargo from the surface and into"},{"startTime":96.669,"endTime":100.899,"body":"orbit is civilization-changing."},{"startTime":100.909,"endTime":105.516,"body":"This would absolutely fundamentally change"},{"startTime":100.909,"endTime":105.516,"body":"our relationship with      And a lot of"},{"startTime":105.516,"endTime":108.866,"body":"the assumptions that we've made in so many"},{"startTime":105.516,"endTime":108.866,"body":"earlier episodes about how you would or"},{"startTime":108.866,"endTime":113.416,"body":"wouldn't do things because it's just too"},{"startTime":108.866,"endTime":113.416,"body":"impractical or expensive to bring cargo"},{"startTime":113.416,"endTime":117.066,"body":"onto Earth or get cargo off of Earth,"},{"startTime":113.416,"endTime":117.066,"body":"this completely changes that equation."},{"startTime":117.426,"endTime":123.406,"body":"So this is a huge idea, and the benefits"},{"startTime":117.426,"endTime":123.406,"body":"are immediate and clear, but they're"},{"startTime":123.406,"endTime":125.466,"body":"also presented with humongous challenges."},{"startTime":125.466,"endTime":129.466,"body":"I mean, of all of the mega structures"},{"startTime":125.466,"endTime":129.466,"body":"we have talked about, this one to me"},{"startTime":129.466,"endTime":133.036,"body":"just seems like the hardest to build"},{"startTime":129.466,"endTime":133.036,"body":"for so many different reasons, and the"},{"startTime":133.036,"endTime":137.786,"body":"failure modes are so catastrophic that"},{"startTime":133.036,"endTime":137.786,"body":"there's humongous pros to this and"},{"startTime":137.786,"endTime":140.186,"body":"humongous reasons why we want this."},{"startTime":140.666,"endTime":145.316,"body":"But it's hard to say if the cons outweigh"},{"startTime":140.666,"endTime":145.316,"body":"that, and that's gonna be, I think, one"},{"startTime":145.316,"endTime":149.366,"body":"of the most interesting potential projects"},{"startTime":145.316,"endTime":149.366,"body":"humanity could probably ever embark on."},{"startTime":149.758,"endTime":155.87,"body":"it would be civilization-changing and also"},{"startTime":149.758,"endTime":155.87,"body":"incredibly devastating if it went wrong."},{"startTime":156.13,"endTime":157.84,"body":"but I feel like jumping into first,"},{"startTime":157.9,"endTime":161.285,"body":"like those benefits that we can get"},{"startTime":157.9,"endTime":161.285,"body":"from it,  for people that don't quite"},{"startTime":161.285,"endTime":166.465,"body":"understand is we are essentially"},{"startTime":161.285,"endTime":166.465,"body":"giving ourselves an elevator into"},{"startTime":166.465,"endTime":169.355,"body":"space,  allowing us to have a,"},{"startTime":169.405,"endTime":173.295,"body":"depending on the size of it, an entire"},{"startTime":169.405,"endTime":173.295,"body":"launch point for the production of"},{"startTime":173.295,"endTime":176.795,"body":"whatever we could see feasible out"},{"startTime":173.295,"endTime":176.795,"body":"there while being able to maintain"},{"startTime":177.045,"endTime":180.732,"body":"supplies and everything for the"},{"startTime":177.045,"endTime":180.732,"body":"people doing that without cost."},{"startTime":181.052,"endTime":185.319,"body":"Once the structure is built, then"},{"startTime":181.052,"endTime":185.319,"body":"from there, we've opened up a"},{"startTime":185.319,"endTime":189.899,"body":"doorway into readily expanding"},{"startTime":185.319,"endTime":189.899,"body":"into our entire solar system."},{"startTime":190.079,"endTime":190.579,"body":"Absolutely."},{"startTime":190.579,"endTime":193.059,"body":"And one thing I do really wanna point"},{"startTime":190.579,"endTime":193.059,"body":"out with these elevators, and this is"},{"startTime":193.139,"endTime":197.629,"body":"a key importance, is you don't build"},{"startTime":193.139,"endTime":197.629,"body":"an elevator and then go into space."},{"startTime":197.929,"endTime":201.679,"body":"You would already have a humongous"},{"startTime":197.929,"endTime":201.679,"body":"space infrastructure surrounding"},{"startTime":201.679,"endTime":205.559,"body":"your planet before you ever started"},{"startTime":201.679,"endTime":205.559,"body":"building one of these projects, right?"},{"startTime":205.679,"endTime":207.329,"body":"It's kinda the same thing"},{"startTime":205.679,"endTime":207.329,"body":"with O'Neill cylinders."},{"startTime":207.329,"endTime":209.409,"body":"An O'Neill cylinder is not the"},{"startTime":207.329,"endTime":209.409,"body":"first thing you build in space."},{"startTime":209.639,"endTime":211.849,"body":"An orbital elevator is not the"},{"startTime":209.639,"endTime":211.849,"body":"first thing you build in space."},{"startTime":212.069,"endTime":215.552,"body":"You don't settle a new spot of land"},{"startTime":212.069,"endTime":215.552,"body":"and immediately put up a skyscraper."},{"startTime":215.742,"endTime":219.202,"body":"So this is a late-stage project, and"},{"startTime":215.742,"endTime":219.202,"body":"something you already do when you"},{"startTime":219.232,"endTime":220.592,"body":"probably have a colony on the Moon."},{"startTime":220.602,"endTime":223.942,"body":"You probably already have hundreds of"},{"startTime":220.602,"endTime":223.942,"body":"thousands, if not millions, of people"},{"startTime":223.942,"endTime":228.642,"body":"living into orbit, and you've already"},{"startTime":223.942,"endTime":228.642,"body":"got enough demand into Earth's orbit to"},{"startTime":228.652,"endTime":230.762,"body":"justify building such a massive project."},{"startTime":230.762,"endTime":233.112,"body":"So that is, I think, something"},{"startTime":230.762,"endTime":233.112,"body":"really important to point out, and"},{"startTime":233.112,"endTime":234.362,"body":"something that I think gets overlooked."},{"startTime":234.362,"endTime":237.642,"body":"I think a lot of people imagine"},{"startTime":234.362,"endTime":237.642,"body":"that you wanna build an orbital"},{"startTime":237.652,"endTime":241.242,"body":"elevator first to justify getting"},{"startTime":237.652,"endTime":241.242,"body":"into space, but absolutely not."},{"startTime":241.452,"endTime":245.072,"body":"You wanna have the justification for the"},{"startTime":241.452,"endTime":245.072,"body":"orbital elevator well before you ever"},{"startTime":245.152,"endTime":246.392,"body":"actually start trying to build the thing."},{"startTime":246.592,"endTime":246.992,"body":"Yes."},{"startTime":247.032,"endTime":249.692,"body":"And also, without the"},{"startTime":247.032,"endTime":249.692,"body":"infrastructure in space, it just"},{"startTime":249.692,"endTime":250.932,"body":"wouldn't be possible to build."},{"startTime":251.002,"endTime":252.92,"body":"Yeah, that's another key"},{"startTime":251.002,"endTime":252.92,"body":"important thing, too, right?"},{"startTime":252.92,"endTime":256.714,"body":"This is a massive thing to build, and"},{"startTime":252.92,"endTime":256.714,"body":"it does need to be constructed in orbit"},{"startTime":256.714,"endTime":258.104,"body":"and then lowered down to the planet."},{"startTime":258.104,"endTime":260.464,"body":"So you need  so much stuff already there."},{"startTime":260.464,"endTime":261.844,"body":"You need to have material in space."},{"startTime":261.844,"endTime":264.174,"body":"And trying to build all of this"},{"startTime":261.844,"endTime":264.174,"body":"on Earth and transporting it up"},{"startTime":264.174,"endTime":266.924,"body":"into space is ironically something"},{"startTime":264.174,"endTime":266.924,"body":"you can't really do without an"},{"startTime":266.924,"endTime":268.274,"body":"orbital elevator in the first place."},{"startTime":268.554,"endTime":271.724,"body":"So realistically, you need to have a"},{"startTime":268.554,"endTime":271.724,"body":"lot of manufacturing already set up"},{"startTime":271.724,"endTime":275.004,"body":"into space before this thing could"},{"startTime":271.724,"endTime":275.004,"body":"ever get off the ground, really."},{"startTime":275.334,"endTime":275.704,"body":"Yeah."},{"startTime":275.764,"endTime":278.43,"body":"you don't build the Golden"},{"startTime":275.764,"endTime":278.43,"body":"Gate Bridge if there wasn't a"},{"startTime":278.43,"endTime":280.12,"body":"city there for you to build it."},{"startTime":280.17,"endTime":282.745,"body":"You don't build a highway between"},{"startTime":280.17,"endTime":282.745,"body":"two spots with the anticipation"},{"startTime":282.755,"endTime":284.452,"body":"someone might move there one day."},{"startTime":284.452,"endTime":286.262,"body":"You've gotta have the"},{"startTime":284.452,"endTime":286.262,"body":"two towns to justify it."},{"startTime":286.542,"endTime":289.942,"body":"Something else with orbital elevators"},{"startTime":286.542,"endTime":289.942,"body":"that I think gets overlooked a"},{"startTime":289.942,"endTime":294.341,"body":"lot, and isn't discussed enough,"},{"startTime":289.942,"endTime":294.341,"body":"is  what we actually use them for."},{"startTime":294.611,"endTime":297.371,"body":"Because if you ask someone, \"Okay,"},{"startTime":294.611,"endTime":297.371,"body":"we have an orbital elevator. What"},{"startTime":297.371,"endTime":298.141,"body":"do you think the point of it is?\""},{"startTime":298.141,"endTime":298.891,"body":"A lot of people are gonna say,"},{"startTime":298.891,"endTime":299.231,"body":"\"Well,"},{"startTime":299.521,"endTime":302.161,"body":"to get into Earth's orbit.\" And"},{"startTime":299.521,"endTime":302.161,"body":"that's not an unfair assumption."},{"startTime":302.161,"endTime":303.821,"body":"We would 100% use it for that."},{"startTime":304.201,"endTime":307.031,"body":"But another thing the orbital elevator"},{"startTime":304.201,"endTime":307.031,"body":"would be really important for is"},{"startTime":307.031,"endTime":308.511,"body":"actually leaving Earth's orbit."},{"startTime":308.821,"endTime":312.341,"body":"Because of the way these are constructed,"},{"startTime":308.821,"endTime":312.341,"body":"they actually go past geosynchronous"},{"startTime":312.391,"endTime":316.121,"body":"orbit, and this means if you let go of an"},{"startTime":312.391,"endTime":316.121,"body":"orbital elevator, it'll launch you into"},{"startTime":316.121,"endTime":318.441,"body":"an even higher orbit than geosynchronous."},{"startTime":318.721,"endTime":319.341,"body":"Which means"},{"startTime":319.349,"endTime":323.261,"body":"you could bring material cargo and"},{"startTime":319.349,"endTime":323.261,"body":"ships up and give them a kick into"},{"startTime":323.261,"endTime":327.621,"body":"the solar system, and all of that with"},{"startTime":323.261,"endTime":327.621,"body":"zero fuel, zero delta V would be a"},{"startTime":327.621,"endTime":330.561,"body":"pretty big advantage, especially if"},{"startTime":327.621,"endTime":330.561,"body":"we were trying to leave Earth's orbit."},{"startTime":330.811,"endTime":333.751,"body":"Even going to the moon, going to"},{"startTime":330.811,"endTime":333.751,"body":"Mars, going to the outer solar system,"},{"startTime":334.191,"endTime":337.834,"body":"that's a really big advantage that"},{"startTime":334.191,"endTime":337.834,"body":"doesn't get talked about enough,"},{"startTime":337.972,"endTime":341.292,"body":"And of course, having a cheaper way"},{"startTime":337.972,"endTime":341.292,"body":"to move goods in and out of orbit."},{"startTime":341.457,"endTime":342.807,"body":"the benefits are immense."},{"startTime":342.877,"endTime":343.977,"body":"Being able to,"},{"startTime":344.23,"endTime":348.897,"body":"redistribute large amounts of stuff"},{"startTime":344.23,"endTime":348.897,"body":"without any kind of fuel is,  honestly"},{"startTime":348.897,"endTime":353.657,"body":"something that if it is possible to do,"},{"startTime":348.897,"endTime":353.657,"body":"which it does face a lot of challenges,"},{"startTime":353.697,"endTime":355.457,"body":"it probably will have to be done."},{"startTime":355.647,"endTime":355.947,"body":"Yeah,"},{"startTime":355.947,"endTime":356.247,"body":"I mean,"},{"startTime":356.247,"endTime":359.317,"body":"this is probably the most efficient"},{"startTime":356.247,"endTime":359.317,"body":"way to get things into space."},{"startTime":359.317,"endTime":363.083,"body":"When we think about rockets,   something"},{"startTime":359.317,"endTime":363.083,"body":"like 90 to 95% of a rocket's mass"},{"startTime":363.083,"endTime":368.127,"body":"is just the fuel needed to get the"},{"startTime":363.083,"endTime":368.127,"body":"material into space, and if we wanna"},{"startTime":368.137,"endTime":371.287,"body":"build out our orbital infrastructure,"},{"startTime":368.137,"endTime":371.287,"body":"that's gonna be a devastating"},{"startTime":371.297,"endTime":372.707,"body":"thing to have to deal with forever."},{"startTime":373.077,"endTime":375.687,"body":"And unfortunately, that's"},{"startTime":373.077,"endTime":375.687,"body":"just gonna be what we have to"},{"startTime":375.687,"endTime":376.527,"body":"deal with in the beginning."},{"startTime":376.827,"endTime":379.977,"body":"But being able to get around that through"},{"startTime":376.827,"endTime":379.977,"body":"something like an orbital elevator, or"},{"startTime":379.977,"endTime":383.067,"body":"there's some alternative technologies"},{"startTime":379.977,"endTime":383.067,"body":"we'll make other episodes on as well,"},{"startTime":383.077,"endTime":385.337,"body":"like skyhooks, and launching platforms."},{"startTime":385.747,"endTime":388.987,"body":"But the orbital elevator is definitely"},{"startTime":385.747,"endTime":388.987,"body":"one of the most popular ways to do that."},{"startTime":389.357,"endTime":389.707,"body":"Yeah."},{"startTime":389.887,"endTime":392.433,"body":"let's actually take a moment and"},{"startTime":389.887,"endTime":392.433,"body":"talk about what this is gonna be"},{"startTime":392.433,"endTime":395.583,"body":"like, because there's some design"},{"startTime":392.433,"endTime":395.583,"body":"characteristics of these that I'm"},{"startTime":395.583,"endTime":396.993,"body":"not sure how much get explored."},{"startTime":397.383,"endTime":401.293,"body":"I mentioned it already there, you need"},{"startTime":397.383,"endTime":401.293,"body":"a huge counterweight, and this needs"},{"startTime":401.293,"endTime":403.763,"body":"to be well beyond geostationary orbit."},{"startTime":404.073,"endTime":405.323,"body":"And I think that's something people miss."},{"startTime":405.323,"endTime":408.683,"body":"A lot of people seem to think that"},{"startTime":405.323,"endTime":408.683,"body":"it's gonna stop at geostationary"},{"startTime":408.713,"endTime":410.243,"body":"orbit, but that's not the case."},{"startTime":410.273,"endTime":414.393,"body":"Because for an orbital elevator to"},{"startTime":410.273,"endTime":414.393,"body":"work,    the cable needs to be in tension."},{"startTime":414.703,"endTime":417.673,"body":"And the only way you can do that is"},{"startTime":414.703,"endTime":417.673,"body":"if your center of mass of the entire"},{"startTime":417.673,"endTime":420.183,"body":"thing is beyond geosynchronary orbit."},{"startTime":420.463,"endTime":423.953,"body":"So you need a massive counterweight"},{"startTime":420.463,"endTime":423.953,"body":"pretty significantly far out from"},{"startTime":423.953,"endTime":427.373,"body":"geosynchronary orbit, but you will, of"},{"startTime":423.953,"endTime":427.373,"body":"course, have a station in between the"},{"startTime":427.373,"endTime":430.633,"body":"counterweight and the planet right at the"},{"startTime":427.373,"endTime":430.633,"body":"most stable orbit, which for an orbital"},{"startTime":430.633,"endTime":432.413,"body":"elevator is, of course, geostationary."},{"startTime":432.643,"endTime":436.513,"body":"That's really important, too, Because"},{"startTime":432.643,"endTime":436.513,"body":"along this entire pathway, that point,"},{"startTime":436.563,"endTime":439.823,"body":"the geostationary point, is the only"},{"startTime":436.563,"endTime":439.823,"body":"place where you could step off the"},{"startTime":439.823,"endTime":441.363,"body":"platform and be in a stable orbit."},{"startTime":441.657,"endTime":444.947,"body":"If you're below that, you'll actually fall"},{"startTime":441.657,"endTime":444.947,"body":"back to Earth, and if you're above that,"},{"startTime":445.057,"endTime":446.717,"body":"you'll be kicked off into a higher orbit."},{"startTime":447.057,"endTime":448.347,"body":"Now, the higher orbit's really helpful."},{"startTime":448.387,"endTime":449.877,"body":"You can use that to kick"},{"startTime":448.387,"endTime":449.877,"body":"into another planet."},{"startTime":450.017,"endTime":451.537,"body":"But falling back to Earth is not helpful."},{"startTime":451.607,"endTime":451.857,"body":"No."},{"startTime":452.002,"endTime":454.672,"body":"so it is really important to"},{"startTime":452.002,"endTime":454.672,"body":"imagine this thing, just how far"},{"startTime":454.672,"endTime":455.902,"body":"out it's really going to extend."},{"startTime":455.902,"endTime":456.852,"body":"I think I was looking at it."},{"startTime":456.862,"endTime":461.712,"body":"A lot of them are about 100,000 kilometers"},{"startTime":456.862,"endTime":461.712,"body":"in length is the design, which is"},{"startTime":461.782,"endTime":463.092,"body":"about a third of the way to the moon."},{"startTime":463.262,"endTime":463.392,"body":"Yes."},{"startTime":463.392,"endTime":465.282,"body":"So these are very large structures."},{"startTime":465.32,"endTime":468.55,"body":"they are absolutely massive structures"},{"startTime":465.32,"endTime":468.55,"body":"and, they need to be designed that way"},{"startTime":468.55,"endTime":471.773,"body":"to have the benefits that they do, and"},{"startTime":468.55,"endTime":471.773,"body":"to be able to maintain their ability"},{"startTime":471.773,"endTime":473.563,"body":"to transport products back and forth."},{"startTime":473.681,"endTime":477.233,"body":"but with that in mind, this large"},{"startTime":473.681,"endTime":477.233,"body":"cable that is pretty much holding"},{"startTime":477.233,"endTime":480.913,"body":"an entire station on the other end,"},{"startTime":477.233,"endTime":480.913,"body":"another detriment that comes to mind"},{"startTime":480.913,"endTime":485.106,"body":"is the tensile strength, how much"},{"startTime":480.913,"endTime":485.106,"body":"strength we would need to have to"},{"startTime":485.206,"endTime":489.296,"body":"hold an object that's spinning with"},{"startTime":485.206,"endTime":489.296,"body":"the Earth's rotation while holding"},{"startTime":489.296,"endTime":491.746,"body":"a station that's millions of tons."},{"startTime":492.14,"endTime":498.22,"body":"We have very few things that we could make"},{"startTime":492.14,"endTime":498.22,"body":"that cable out of on Earth right now that"},{"startTime":498.22,"endTime":500.06,"body":"would be able to withstand that pressure."},{"startTime":500.61,"endTime":503.07,"body":"right now the only thing that really"},{"startTime":500.61,"endTime":503.07,"body":"comes to mind is carbon nanotubes,"},{"startTime":503.82,"endTime":508.02,"body":"and they would have to be perfectly"},{"startTime":503.82,"endTime":508.02,"body":"manufactured to have the highest rating"},{"startTime":508.02,"endTime":513.043,"body":"of tensile strength that they possibly"},{"startTime":508.02,"endTime":513.043,"body":"could, and that's not factoring in,"},{"startTime":513.383,"endTime":517.503,"body":"the, things moving back and forth"},{"startTime":513.383,"endTime":517.503,"body":"across that cable, the, how maintenance"},{"startTime":517.503,"endTime":519.253,"body":"would have to be applied to it as well."},{"startTime":519.683,"endTime":520.453,"body":"It all becomes"},{"startTime":520.453,"endTime":521.413,"body":"very complicated."},{"startTime":521.531,"endTime":524.411,"body":"That is an issue, and not"},{"startTime":521.531,"endTime":524.411,"body":"one that we should overlook."},{"startTime":524.451,"endTime":528.181,"body":"The material engineering going"},{"startTime":524.451,"endTime":528.181,"body":"into an orbital elevator is huge."},{"startTime":528.281,"endTime":534.511,"body":"This cable is going to be under an"},{"startTime":528.281,"endTime":534.511,"body":"immense load, and you need a very strong"},{"startTime":534.511,"endTime":536.541,"body":"material to be capable of handling that."},{"startTime":536.861,"endTime":541.371,"body":"And really, orbital elevators"},{"startTime":536.861,"endTime":541.371,"body":"were 100% in the realm of science"},{"startTime":541.371,"endTime":544.371,"body":"fiction until we discovered how"},{"startTime":541.371,"endTime":544.371,"body":"to manufacture carbon nanotubes."},{"startTime":545.021,"endTime":547.963,"body":"And even with carbon nanotubes, which"},{"startTime":545.021,"endTime":547.963,"body":"I believe is  one of the strongest"},{"startTime":547.963,"endTime":552.143,"body":"materials we can currently make, it"},{"startTime":547.963,"endTime":552.143,"body":"is really pushing that material limit."},{"startTime":552.323,"endTime":557.246,"body":"I believe, they have a tensile strength"},{"startTime":552.323,"endTime":557.246,"body":"in the 70 to 100 kilopascal range, And"},{"startTime":557.246,"endTime":560.696,"body":"while that does then put you in the"},{"startTime":557.246,"endTime":560.696,"body":"realm of possibility for an orbital"},{"startTime":560.706,"endTime":565.116,"body":"elevator, you hit on it earlier, they"},{"startTime":560.706,"endTime":565.116,"body":"need to be perfectly manufactured."},{"startTime":565.366,"endTime":568.986,"body":"You can't have any defects because that"},{"startTime":565.366,"endTime":568.986,"body":"could quickly drop that tensile strength,"},{"startTime":569.266,"endTime":573.946,"body":"and you really do need every last bit of"},{"startTime":569.266,"endTime":573.946,"body":"that strength to make the structure work."},{"startTime":574.096,"endTime":577.716,"body":"And then another concern too is"},{"startTime":574.096,"endTime":577.716,"body":"if you do use carbon nanotubes and"},{"startTime":577.716,"endTime":581.256,"body":"you do make them perfectly, you"},{"startTime":577.716,"endTime":581.256,"body":"don't have a large safety margin."},{"startTime":581.256,"endTime":584.836,"body":"You really are maxing out that material,"},{"startTime":581.256,"endTime":584.836,"body":"which means it doesn't take much"},{"startTime":584.836,"endTime":587.026,"body":"extra force to break the structure."},{"startTime":587.046,"endTime":589.946,"body":"And that's a concern because"},{"startTime":587.046,"endTime":589.946,"body":"in engineering, we really"},{"startTime":589.946,"endTime":590.886,"body":"wanna have a safety margin."},{"startTime":590.886,"endTime":592.936,"body":"A safety margin is of critical importance."},{"startTime":593.186,"endTime":596.746,"body":"You can't just use 100% of your"},{"startTime":593.186,"endTime":596.746,"body":"material strength to build a structure"},{"startTime":596.746,"endTime":599.806,"body":"because then the smallest change"},{"startTime":596.746,"endTime":599.806,"body":"in load or smallest miscalculation"},{"startTime":600.246,"endTime":601.356,"body":"will collapse that structure."},{"startTime":601.666,"endTime":605.006,"body":"And all of that has to happen"},{"startTime":601.666,"endTime":605.006,"body":"while this structure goes through"},{"startTime":605.006,"endTime":606.916,"body":"an entire planetary atmosphere."},{"startTime":607.206,"endTime":610.596,"body":"There's hurricanes, there's storms,"},{"startTime":607.206,"endTime":610.596,"body":"random winds, there's all kinds of"},{"startTime":610.596,"endTime":614.213,"body":"different structural forces that are"},{"startTime":610.596,"endTime":614.213,"body":"gonna be enacted on this cable, all while"},{"startTime":614.213,"endTime":615.673,"body":"you're maxing out the tensile strength."},{"startTime":615.683,"endTime":617.483,"body":"So that's all a huge concern."},{"startTime":617.963,"endTime":620.933,"body":"With that being said, though, I"},{"startTime":617.963,"endTime":620.933,"body":"do think it's at least somewhat"},{"startTime":620.943,"endTime":624.753,"body":"interesting that we have a material"},{"startTime":620.943,"endTime":624.753,"body":"that is at least theoretically capable"},{"startTime":624.753,"endTime":627.693,"body":"of supporting this structure, which"},{"startTime":624.753,"endTime":627.693,"body":"is more than we can say for a lot of"},{"startTime":627.693,"endTime":630.583,"body":"different mega structures, and that"},{"startTime":627.693,"endTime":630.583,"body":"does give me a little bit of hope."},{"startTime":630.688,"endTime":633.058,"body":"I don't think we're gonna have some"},{"startTime":630.688,"endTime":633.058,"body":"miracle material that's 100 times"},{"startTime":633.058,"endTime":635.818,"body":"stronger than carbon nanotubes,"},{"startTime":633.058,"endTime":635.818,"body":"at least not in the near term."},{"startTime":635.818,"endTime":639.178,"body":"there are some theoretical materials"},{"startTime":635.818,"endTime":639.178,"body":"like magmatter, and nuclear pasta"},{"startTime":639.198,"endTime":642.375,"body":"that only exist in the core of"},{"startTime":639.198,"endTime":642.375,"body":"neutron stars that comes with a"},{"startTime":642.375,"endTime":646.871,"body":"whole, whole load of other issues, like"},{"startTime":642.375,"endTime":646.871,"body":"needing a neutron star to exist which is"},{"startTime":646.871,"endTime":648.561,"body":"usually a pretty big issue for a material."},{"startTime":649.271,"endTime":652.071,"body":"But I do think it's interesting there"},{"startTime":649.271,"endTime":652.071,"body":"is at least a material, and if we"},{"startTime":652.071,"endTime":655.965,"body":"are able to improve its strength by"},{"startTime":652.071,"endTime":655.965,"body":"a little bit, even by two or three X,"},{"startTime":655.965,"endTime":658.305,"body":"then you might gain that safety margin."},{"startTime":658.325,"endTime":659.595,"body":"So that's interesting to me at least"},{"startTime":659.761,"endTime":660.701,"body":"it's definitely possible."},{"startTime":660.781,"endTime":665.001,"body":"Humanity over the years has done very"},{"startTime":660.781,"endTime":665.001,"body":"good at taking one material, mixing it"},{"startTime":665.001,"endTime":666.741,"body":"with another, and making it even stronger."},{"startTime":666.871,"endTime":669.491,"body":"I have no reason to think"},{"startTime":666.871,"endTime":669.491,"body":"that we would stop now."},{"startTime":669.741,"endTime":670.811,"body":"No, absolutely not."},{"startTime":670.821,"endTime":673.718,"body":"if we can make that margin a little"},{"startTime":670.821,"endTime":673.718,"body":"bit better then that Makes our"},{"startTime":673.718,"endTime":677.118,"body":"project more and more feasible"},{"startTime":673.718,"endTime":677.118,"body":"for sure, and it does it…"},{"startTime":677.238,"endTime":679.708,"body":"get us closer to this could"},{"startTime":677.238,"endTime":679.708,"body":"probably be one of the first"},{"startTime":679.708,"endTime":681.098,"body":"mega structures that we build."},{"startTime":681.198,"endTime":683.926,"body":"Yeah, I could definitely see that,"},{"startTime":681.198,"endTime":683.926,"body":"except for maybe a Dyson swarm,"},{"startTime":683.926,"endTime":686.396,"body":"because I think that's something that"},{"startTime":683.926,"endTime":686.396,"body":"would slowly be built up over time."},{"startTime":686.532,"endTime":689.762,"body":"once you put your first satellite"},{"startTime":686.532,"endTime":689.762,"body":"that uses solar power in orbit"},{"startTime":689.762,"endTime":691.842,"body":"of the sun, you've technically"},{"startTime":689.762,"endTime":691.842,"body":"started your Dyson swarm."},{"startTime":691.912,"endTime":694.032,"body":"I don't know at what point you"},{"startTime":691.912,"endTime":694.032,"body":"wanna call that a Dyson swarm."},{"startTime":694.382,"endTime":697.862,"body":"Another thing I did wanna touch on was the"},{"startTime":694.382,"endTime":697.862,"body":"actual material strengths involved here."},{"startTime":698.142,"endTime":700.092,"body":"and really when we're talking"},{"startTime":698.142,"endTime":700.092,"body":"about tensile strength of a"},{"startTime":700.092,"endTime":703.652,"body":"material, we are talking about the"},{"startTime":700.092,"endTime":703.652,"body":"bonds of its molecules or atoms."},{"startTime":703.722,"endTime":704.062,"body":"Yes."},{"startTime":704.172,"endTime":707.602,"body":"And the carbon-carbon bond is one of"},{"startTime":704.172,"endTime":707.602,"body":"the strongest bonds, and that's why pure"},{"startTime":707.602,"endTime":711.652,"body":"carbon, like a carbon nanotube, is so"},{"startTime":707.602,"endTime":711.652,"body":"strong, and that's what we're using."},{"startTime":711.979,"endTime":714.229,"body":"and that's why even if you"},{"startTime":711.979,"endTime":714.229,"body":"can make them perfect, you do"},{"startTime":714.229,"endTime":718.009,"body":"eventually reach a point where that"},{"startTime":714.229,"endTime":718.009,"body":"carbon-carbon bond just fundamentally"},{"startTime":718.309,"endTime":719.509,"body":"is not strong enough, and"},{"startTime":719.509,"endTime":721.379,"body":"that's, the material limit we're into."},{"startTime":721.449,"endTime":725.039,"body":"So we would need to discover or use"},{"startTime":721.449,"endTime":725.039,"body":"potentially stronger chemical bonds"},{"startTime":725.369,"endTime":728.579,"body":"or find some new form of matter"},{"startTime":725.369,"endTime":728.579,"body":"or take advantage of different"},{"startTime":728.889,"endTime":731.439,"body":"forms of physics that aren't the"},{"startTime":728.889,"endTime":731.439,"body":"electromagnetic force, and that's"},{"startTime":731.439,"endTime":731.689,"body":"kind of"},{"startTime":731.689,"endTime":734.489,"body":"the idea of some of these other forces"},{"startTime":731.689,"endTime":734.489,"body":"that use either the strong or weak nuclear"},{"startTime":734.489,"endTime":738.689,"body":"force instead of using the electromagnetic"},{"startTime":734.489,"endTime":738.689,"body":"force, which is what holds atoms together."},{"startTime":739.068,"endTime":741.968,"body":"With that in mind, though, is there"},{"startTime":739.068,"endTime":741.968,"body":"anything stronger than a carbon-carbon"},{"startTime":741.968,"endTime":743.068,"body":"bond that we know of today?"},{"startTime":743.281,"endTime":746.421,"body":"Yeah, there are bonds that are stronger,"},{"startTime":743.281,"endTime":746.421,"body":"but when it comes down to tensile"},{"startTime":746.421,"endTime":749.221,"body":"strength, it's not just the bond"},{"startTime":746.421,"endTime":749.221,"body":"strength we have to worry about, it's"},{"startTime":749.221,"endTime":750.451,"body":"the actual weight of the molecule."},{"startTime":750.461,"endTime":754.271,"body":"So there are some metals that technically"},{"startTime":750.461,"endTime":754.271,"body":"have stronger bonds, but they're pretty"},{"startTime":754.271,"endTime":757.461,"body":"heavy, so you don't get a stronger"},{"startTime":754.271,"endTime":757.461,"body":"tensile strength because it comes down"},{"startTime":757.461,"endTime":760.671,"body":"to the strength of the bond divided"},{"startTime":757.461,"endTime":760.671,"body":"by the actual weight of the atoms."},{"startTime":760.681,"endTime":764.591,"body":"So that's why the carbon-carbon bond"},{"startTime":760.681,"endTime":764.591,"body":"is so good, because carbon's a pretty"},{"startTime":764.591,"endTime":766.201,"body":"small atom in the grand scheme of things."},{"startTime":766.291,"endTime":767.781,"body":"I think it's, what, six"},{"startTime":766.291,"endTime":767.781,"body":"on the periodic table?"},{"startTime":768.211,"endTime":768.881,"body":"I hope I got that"},{"startTime":768.881,"endTime":769.011,"body":"right."},{"startTime":769.011,"endTime":769.471,"body":"I'm a chemist."},{"startTime":769.471,"endTime":770.751,"body":"If not, I'll have to cut that out."},{"startTime":770.891,"endTime":773.611,"body":"And it provides you with"},{"startTime":770.891,"endTime":773.611,"body":"a lot of tensile strength."},{"startTime":773.621,"endTime":776.461,"body":"So that's the advantage of the"},{"startTime":773.621,"endTime":776.461,"body":"carbon-carbon bond over some"},{"startTime":776.461,"endTime":777.421,"body":"potentially stronger ones."},{"startTime":777.721,"endTime":779.651,"body":"But off the top of my head, I"},{"startTime":777.721,"endTime":779.651,"body":"know carbon-oxygen bonds are"},{"startTime":779.651,"endTime":780.921,"body":"stronger than carbon-carbon bonds."},{"startTime":781.121,"endTime":781.621,"body":"I see."},{"startTime":781.631,"endTime":781.661,"body":"Yes."},{"startTime":781.671,"endTime":782.971,"body":"But it's hard to make a chain out of."},{"startTime":782.981,"endTime":785.001,"body":"That's why pure carbon"},{"startTime":782.981,"endTime":785.001,"body":"nanotubes are much better."},{"startTime":785.159,"endTime":787.869,"body":"But there is still hope that we"},{"startTime":785.159,"endTime":787.869,"body":"could still make a, atomic bond"},{"startTime":787.879,"endTime":790.699,"body":"that could be stronger than the"},{"startTime":787.879,"endTime":790.699,"body":"carbon-carbon bond in the future."},{"startTime":791.006,"endTime":793.356,"body":"but if not, I'm sure that we"},{"startTime":791.006,"endTime":793.356,"body":"could find a way to work with it."},{"startTime":793.536,"endTime":794.566,"body":"Yeah, absolutely."},{"startTime":794.606,"endTime":797.556,"body":"And there are some other design"},{"startTime":794.606,"endTime":797.556,"body":"considerations going on here too."},{"startTime":797.886,"endTime":801.246,"body":"For one, when we think about the"},{"startTime":797.886,"endTime":801.246,"body":"climbers going up and down the elevator-"},{"startTime":801.286,"endTime":803.126,"body":"I think that's something"},{"startTime":801.286,"endTime":803.126,"body":"people kinda overlook."},{"startTime":803.246,"endTime":805.486,"body":"These can't be traditional"},{"startTime":803.246,"endTime":805.486,"body":"elevator cars, right?"},{"startTime":805.496,"endTime":805.666,"body":"No."},{"startTime":805.766,"endTime":808.516,"body":"They need to be powered in some"},{"startTime":805.766,"endTime":808.516,"body":"way, shape, or form, and they're"},{"startTime":808.526,"endTime":810.146,"body":"going over a very long distance."},{"startTime":810.156,"endTime":813.186,"body":"They're going 100,000 kilometers,"},{"startTime":810.156,"endTime":813.186,"body":"much further than any two points of"},{"startTime":813.186,"endTime":814.546,"body":"Earth are connected by quite a lot."},{"startTime":814.956,"endTime":818.336,"body":"So you need some way to power"},{"startTime":814.956,"endTime":818.336,"body":"these, and if that adds weight, that"},{"startTime":818.336,"endTime":819.776,"body":"reduces your cargo you can carry."},{"startTime":819.986,"endTime":823.376,"body":"So that is another consideration"},{"startTime":819.986,"endTime":823.376,"body":"to happen, and it's very possible"},{"startTime":823.696,"endTime":826.406,"body":"you might have these climbers"},{"startTime":823.696,"endTime":826.406,"body":"be nuclear powered, via fusion."},{"startTime":826.406,"endTime":829.506,"body":"That could be a good way to do it,"},{"startTime":826.406,"endTime":829.506,"body":"although the issue with fusion is"},{"startTime":829.546,"endTime":832.896,"body":"I think that's a technology that'll"},{"startTime":829.546,"endTime":832.896,"body":"get more efficient with size, so"},{"startTime":832.896,"endTime":835.916,"body":"a larger reactor will probably"},{"startTime":832.896,"endTime":835.916,"body":"perform better than a smaller one."},{"startTime":836.106,"endTime":839.556,"body":"So having a small, compact one on one of"},{"startTime":836.106,"endTime":839.556,"body":"these elevator cars could be an issue."},{"startTime":840.006,"endTime":843.466,"body":"so maybe even you'll use fission, or"},{"startTime":840.006,"endTime":843.466,"body":"maybe you'll actually have reactors built"},{"startTime":843.496,"endTime":848.136,"body":"into the elevator itself and a conductive"},{"startTime":843.496,"endTime":848.136,"body":"material supplying power to the car,"},{"startTime":848.136,"endTime":849.656,"body":"kinda like how electric trains work now."},{"startTime":849.807,"endTime":851.877,"body":"I think would probably be the"},{"startTime":849.807,"endTime":851.877,"body":"most efficient because then you"},{"startTime":851.877,"endTime":855.427,"body":"remove the need to have the power"},{"startTime":851.877,"endTime":855.427,"body":"source on the actual vehicle."},{"startTime":855.557,"endTime":855.827,"body":"Yeah."},{"startTime":855.867,"endTime":858.417,"body":"No, that's a fair point, and you could"},{"startTime":855.867,"endTime":858.417,"body":"potentially have redundancies too."},{"startTime":858.417,"endTime":860.647,"body":"If one fails, maybe some of"},{"startTime":858.417,"endTime":860.647,"body":"the ones can take up the slack,"},{"startTime":860.917,"endTime":862.137,"body":"and you're not stuck in a cart,"},{"startTime":862.159,"endTime":864.477,"body":"25,000 kilometers out of"},{"startTime":862.159,"endTime":864.477,"body":"the Earth's atmosphere."},{"startTime":864.477,"endTime":865.217,"body":"So that could be helpful."},{"startTime":865.257,"endTime":866.637,"body":"That definitely could be helpful."},{"startTime":866.887,"endTime":868.497,"body":"Now, I'm wondering about,"},{"startTime":868.507,"endTime":870.757,"body":"the space elevator and it's spinning."},{"startTime":870.837,"endTime":874.547,"body":"Is there centripetal force being"},{"startTime":870.837,"endTime":874.547,"body":"applied to these cars as well as"},{"startTime":874.547,"endTime":876.027,"body":"they're moving up and down this cable?"},{"startTime":876.117,"endTime":877.157,"body":"Yeah, there will be."},{"startTime":877.157,"endTime":881.617,"body":"So interestingly, there is centripetal"},{"startTime":877.157,"endTime":881.617,"body":"force, but Earth's gravity in this case"},{"startTime":881.617,"endTime":885.277,"body":"is gonna be much, much stronger for"},{"startTime":881.617,"endTime":885.277,"body":"a lot of the journey up, unlike when"},{"startTime":885.277,"endTime":887.187,"body":"you're on the ISS, for example, right?"},{"startTime":887.262,"endTime":890.642,"body":"the only reason you feel weightlessness"},{"startTime":887.262,"endTime":890.642,"body":"isn't because gravity isn't there."},{"startTime":890.642,"endTime":892.712,"body":"It's that you're in"},{"startTime":890.642,"endTime":892.712,"body":"this constant free fall."},{"startTime":893.122,"endTime":895.452,"body":"But on an orbital elevator,"},{"startTime":893.122,"endTime":895.452,"body":"you're not in orbit."},{"startTime":895.712,"endTime":898.392,"body":"You are very much standing on the"},{"startTime":895.712,"endTime":898.392,"body":"platform, and Earth's gravity only"},{"startTime":898.392,"endTime":901.212,"body":"drops off by a small percentage"},{"startTime":898.392,"endTime":901.212,"body":"once you reach low-Earth orbit."},{"startTime":901.332,"endTime":903.562,"body":"But as you start moving further"},{"startTime":901.332,"endTime":903.562,"body":"and further away, gravity will get"},{"startTime":903.562,"endTime":904.862,"body":"weaker and weaker as you go up."},{"startTime":905.112,"endTime":908.122,"body":"And eventually, once you reach the"},{"startTime":905.112,"endTime":908.122,"body":"point of geosynchronous orbit, you will"},{"startTime":908.122,"endTime":912.232,"body":"experience weightlessness  because you"},{"startTime":908.122,"endTime":912.232,"body":"are now actually in a stable orbit."},{"startTime":912.552,"endTime":915.392,"body":"And then as you go beyond"},{"startTime":912.552,"endTime":915.392,"body":"geosynchronous orbit, you would"},{"startTime":915.392,"endTime":916.692,"body":"start feeling the opposite."},{"startTime":916.692,"endTime":919.722,"body":"You would start feeling the centripetal"},{"startTime":916.692,"endTime":919.722,"body":"force pushing you into the ceiling."},{"startTime":919.732,"endTime":922.562,"body":"It would be very minor, to be clear,"},{"startTime":919.732,"endTime":922.562,"body":"unless you went really far out."},{"startTime":922.662,"endTime":926.149,"body":"But you would start having a force pushing"},{"startTime":922.662,"endTime":926.149,"body":"you into what would be your ceiling on the"},{"startTime":926.149,"endTime":928.989,"body":"way up, Because now you're actually moving"},{"startTime":926.149,"endTime":928.989,"body":"faster than the orbit you're in, so you"},{"startTime":928.989,"endTime":930.529,"body":"do start to get that centripetal force."},{"startTime":930.879,"endTime":933.725,"body":"But that's why if you go beyond"},{"startTime":930.879,"endTime":933.725,"body":"geosynchronous orbit, if you"},{"startTime":933.725,"endTime":937.275,"body":"step off the platform, you will"},{"startTime":933.725,"endTime":937.275,"body":"be shot up into a higher orbit."},{"startTime":937.295,"endTime":938.665,"body":"So you would have a bit of a force there"},{"startTime":938.895,"endTime":939.195,"body":"Yeah."},{"startTime":939.339,"endTime":939.549,"body":"and,"},{"startTime":939.549,"endTime":939.899,"body":"you know,"},{"startTime":939.955,"endTime":941.165,"body":"It helps just a little bit"},{"startTime":941.195,"endTime":941.845,"body":"It would move"},{"startTime":941.905,"endTime":946.035,"body":"the capsular, the crawler, faster towards"},{"startTime":941.905,"endTime":946.035,"body":"it without needing as much power the"},{"startTime":946.035,"endTime":948.015,"body":"closer it got to its end destination."},{"startTime":948.115,"endTime":948.415,"body":"Yeah."},{"startTime":948.415,"endTime":951.715,"body":"So basically the whole way up"},{"startTime":948.415,"endTime":951.715,"body":"until you reach the geosynchronary"},{"startTime":951.725,"endTime":953.425,"body":"spot, you're fighting gravity."},{"startTime":953.475,"endTime":953.745,"body":"Right."},{"startTime":953.805,"endTime":957.205,"body":"Once you hit that spot, you're now in"},{"startTime":953.805,"endTime":957.205,"body":"weightlessness, And once you go past"},{"startTime":957.215,"endTime":959.875,"body":"that point, the elevator will actually"},{"startTime":957.215,"endTime":959.875,"body":"be pulled toward the counterweight"},{"startTime":960.135,"endTime":962.075,"body":"because of the actual rotational force."},{"startTime":962.415,"endTime":964.425,"body":"So yeah, it would help, and"},{"startTime":962.415,"endTime":964.425,"body":"as you went up, you would need"},{"startTime":964.495,"endTime":964.865,"body":"less and"},{"startTime":964.865,"endTime":965.725,"body":"less and less power."},{"startTime":965.805,"endTime":968.225,"body":"now how long do you think a journey"},{"startTime":965.805,"endTime":968.225,"body":"like that would really take?"},{"startTime":968.385,"endTime":969.205,"body":"It wouldn't be quick."},{"startTime":969.235,"endTime":971.145,"body":"you're moving 100,000 kilometers."},{"startTime":971.365,"endTime":974.055,"body":"Even if you can go at a really"},{"startTime":971.365,"endTime":974.055,"body":"respectable speed, and once you"},{"startTime":974.055,"endTime":976.615,"body":"get into space, you don't have an"},{"startTime":974.055,"endTime":976.615,"body":"atmosphere, you might be able to move"},{"startTime":976.615,"endTime":978.125,"body":"at several hundred kilometers an hour."},{"startTime":978.145,"endTime":981.145,"body":"But this is gonna be a multi-day"},{"startTime":978.145,"endTime":981.145,"body":"trip, And so realistically, these"},{"startTime":981.155,"endTime":983.965,"body":"elevator cars are probably gonna be"},{"startTime":981.155,"endTime":983.965,"body":"like mini hotels that you're gonna"},{"startTime":983.965,"endTime":985.385,"body":"be staying in for multiple days."},{"startTime":985.385,"endTime":987.055,"body":"You'll get a room with a bed."},{"startTime":987.065,"endTime":991.235,"body":"There might be bars, entertainment,"},{"startTime":987.065,"endTime":991.235,"body":"restaurants, and people who live and work"},{"startTime":991.235,"endTime":994.835,"body":"full time in each one of these cars just"},{"startTime":991.235,"endTime":994.835,"body":"because of how long it's going to take."},{"startTime":994.895,"endTime":997.325,"body":"And it will, like I said, depend"},{"startTime":994.895,"endTime":997.325,"body":"on how fast you're able to go."},{"startTime":997.665,"endTime":1000.135,"body":"And there will probably be an"},{"startTime":997.665,"endTime":1000.135,"body":"economical point there too, right?"},{"startTime":1000.135,"endTime":1000.255,"body":"Like,"},{"startTime":1000.255,"endTime":1003.465,"body":"you can go faster, but if it, that costs"},{"startTime":1000.255,"endTime":1003.465,"body":"more energy, at a certain point, that"},{"startTime":1003.465,"endTime":1006.355,"body":"might not be worth it, and I'm sure"},{"startTime":1003.465,"endTime":1006.355,"body":"there'll be some kind of equilibrium"},{"startTime":1006.355,"endTime":1010.065,"body":"point of speed versus economic"},{"startTime":1006.355,"endTime":1010.065,"body":"profitability, where you end up at."},{"startTime":1010.105,"endTime":1011.515,"body":"But yeah, no, great question."},{"startTime":1011.545,"endTime":1012.875,"body":"The answer is it's gonna take a minute."},{"startTime":1013.045,"endTime":1013.415,"body":"Yeah."},{"startTime":1013.535,"endTime":1016.005,"body":"also how big do you"},{"startTime":1013.535,"endTime":1016.005,"body":"think this cable will be?"},{"startTime":1016.015,"endTime":1016.225,"body":"like,"},{"startTime":1016.225,"endTime":1018.725,"body":"like these massive things housing"},{"startTime":1016.225,"endTime":1018.725,"body":"people to go up and down, that"},{"startTime":1018.725,"endTime":1022.191,"body":"could be the size of small hotels"},{"startTime":1018.725,"endTime":1022.191,"body":"Like how many shuttles do you think"},{"startTime":1022.201,"endTime":1023.581,"body":"would be running on a track at once?"},{"startTime":1023.581,"endTime":1027.521,"body":"'Cause it could only be one if it goes"},{"startTime":1023.581,"endTime":1027.521,"body":"up one track and returns on one track."},{"startTime":1027.681,"endTime":1028.521,"body":"Not necessarily."},{"startTime":1028.581,"endTime":1031.501,"body":"There's already elevators in buildings"},{"startTime":1028.581,"endTime":1031.501,"body":"that can move sideways to get out"},{"startTime":1031.501,"endTime":1033.281,"body":"of the way of pods coming down."},{"startTime":1033.521,"endTime":1036.751,"body":"So you could imagine that you had"},{"startTime":1033.521,"endTime":1036.751,"body":"abilities for these to move around"},{"startTime":1036.761,"endTime":1039.561,"body":"the track, to dodge each other"},{"startTime":1036.761,"endTime":1039.561,"body":"as they're going up and down."},{"startTime":1039.596,"endTime":1042.656,"body":"But I think you would probably"},{"startTime":1039.596,"endTime":1042.656,"body":"have thousands of these running"},{"startTime":1042.656,"endTime":1044.106,"body":"on the elevator at any given time."},{"startTime":1044.156,"endTime":1044.516,"body":"I mean,"},{"startTime":1044.526,"endTime":1047.836,"body":"for this to be economically valuable,"},{"startTime":1044.526,"endTime":1047.836,"body":"you need a great justification for the"},{"startTime":1047.836,"endTime":1049.266,"body":"cost that you put into building this."},{"startTime":1049.536,"endTime":1053.936,"body":"This will be by several orders of"},{"startTime":1049.536,"endTime":1053.936,"body":"magnitude the singular most expensive"},{"startTime":1053.936,"endTime":1055.886,"body":"structure humanity has ever made."},{"startTime":1056.116,"endTime":1060.026,"body":"Several times more expensive than"},{"startTime":1056.116,"endTime":1060.026,"body":"the entire GDP of the world today,"},{"startTime":1060.226,"endTime":1061.606,"body":"by probably an order of magnitude."},{"startTime":1061.976,"endTime":1065.936,"body":"So you really need to move a lot of"},{"startTime":1061.976,"endTime":1065.936,"body":"people and a lot of cargo to have"},{"startTime":1065.936,"endTime":1067.636,"body":"this elevator justify its expense."},{"startTime":1067.856,"endTime":1070.296,"body":"And that's why I said in the"},{"startTime":1067.856,"endTime":1070.296,"body":"beginning, you're not building this"},{"startTime":1070.506,"endTime":1071.786,"body":"to start your orbital infrastructure."},{"startTime":1071.786,"endTime":1075.346,"body":"You're only building this when you already"},{"startTime":1071.786,"endTime":1075.346,"body":"have a sprawling economy in space, and"},{"startTime":1075.346,"endTime":1079.516,"body":"you can justify moving that much cargo,"},{"startTime":1075.346,"endTime":1079.516,"body":"and you actually have a need for that."},{"startTime":1079.578,"endTime":1082.098,"body":"so with that in mind, how large do"},{"startTime":1079.578,"endTime":1082.098,"body":"you think the cable would actually"},{"startTime":1082.098,"endTime":1083.408,"body":"have to be for this elevator?"},{"startTime":1083.635,"endTime":1084.995,"body":"fairly massive, honestly."},{"startTime":1085.005,"endTime":1086.975,"body":"So the cable would likely be tapered."},{"startTime":1086.985,"endTime":1088.385,"body":"It wouldn't just be a straight cable."},{"startTime":1088.639,"endTime":1090.889,"body":"It would be thinnest on the planet"},{"startTime":1088.639,"endTime":1090.889,"body":"where it experiences the weakest"},{"startTime":1090.889,"endTime":1093.039,"body":"amount of forces, but as you move up"},{"startTime":1090.889,"endTime":1093.039,"body":"the elevator, it would need to get"},{"startTime":1093.039,"endTime":1093.439,"body":"thicker and"},{"startTime":1093.439,"endTime":1097.229,"body":"thicker and thicker to handle the"},{"startTime":1093.439,"endTime":1097.229,"body":"increasing forces that it's experiencing."},{"startTime":1097.599,"endTime":1100.949,"body":"As for how thick it would be"},{"startTime":1097.599,"endTime":1100.949,"body":"on the planet, I would assume"},{"startTime":1100.949,"endTime":1103.609,"body":"several hundred meters at the"},{"startTime":1100.949,"endTime":1103.609,"body":"minimum, maybe a kilometer or more."},{"startTime":1103.839,"endTime":1107.729,"body":"Really just depends on what material"},{"startTime":1103.839,"endTime":1107.729,"body":"you use, how much safety margin"},{"startTime":1107.729,"endTime":1110.689,"body":"you need, and what strengths"},{"startTime":1107.729,"endTime":1110.689,"body":"we're capable of working with."},{"startTime":1110.779,"endTime":1113.719,"body":"You need to finely balance, though,"},{"startTime":1110.779,"endTime":1113.719,"body":"'cause every little bit of thickness"},{"startTime":1113.719,"endTime":1116.749,"body":"you add to the cable adds more"},{"startTime":1113.719,"endTime":1116.749,"body":"weight, and then that weight means"},{"startTime":1116.749,"endTime":1117.909,"body":"you need more cable to support it."},{"startTime":1117.909,"endTime":1119.559,"body":"So you get into this diminishing returns-"},{"startTime":1119.619,"endTime":1123.179,"body":"where as you make it thicker, it has more"},{"startTime":1119.619,"endTime":1123.179,"body":"strength, but now it has more weight, and"},{"startTime":1123.179,"endTime":1124.559,"body":"so there's gonna be some point at that."},{"startTime":1124.729,"endTime":1128.679,"body":"I've seen some models say as low as 400"},{"startTime":1124.729,"endTime":1128.679,"body":"meters, and some say up to a kilometer."},{"startTime":1128.939,"endTime":1132.099,"body":"So it just fully depends on what"},{"startTime":1128.939,"endTime":1132.099,"body":"material you're working with, what your"},{"startTime":1132.099,"endTime":1135.869,"body":"safety margins are, and how many cables"},{"startTime":1132.099,"endTime":1135.869,"body":"and how many cars you need to support"},{"startTime":1135.869,"endTime":1137.409,"body":"going up and down at any given time."},{"startTime":1137.629,"endTime":1139.259,"body":"that is quite a massive structure."},{"startTime":1139.309,"endTime":1142.019,"body":"But it would have to be that big"},{"startTime":1139.309,"endTime":1142.019,"body":"regardless to be able to, like you"},{"startTime":1142.029,"endTime":1144.769,"body":"said, take full advantage of it"},{"startTime":1142.029,"endTime":1144.769,"body":"and build all this infrastructure"},{"startTime":1144.769,"endTime":1149.839,"body":"around using that cable to move"},{"startTime":1144.769,"endTime":1149.839,"body":"product and people up and down."},{"startTime":1149.889,"endTime":1150.139,"body":"Yeah."},{"startTime":1150.199,"endTime":1153.229,"body":"Actually, another key point too is"},{"startTime":1150.199,"endTime":1153.229,"body":"this cable does not need to connect"},{"startTime":1153.229,"endTime":1154.809,"body":"to the planet at just one point."},{"startTime":1155.039,"endTime":1158.529,"body":"So the actual structure itself needs"},{"startTime":1155.039,"endTime":1158.529,"body":"to go over the equator of the Earth."},{"startTime":1158.539,"endTime":1160.649,"body":"There's not really any"},{"startTime":1158.539,"endTime":1160.649,"body":"negotiation on that."},{"startTime":1160.679,"endTime":1164.649,"body":"That's the only way you can actually have"},{"startTime":1160.679,"endTime":1164.649,"body":"a fixed spot in orbit over the planet."},{"startTime":1164.979,"endTime":1167.469,"body":"But that doesn't mean that the"},{"startTime":1164.979,"endTime":1167.469,"body":"cables have to go to the equator."},{"startTime":1167.719,"endTime":1169.529,"body":"You could actually have"},{"startTime":1167.719,"endTime":1169.529,"body":"cables branching off, right?"},{"startTime":1169.529,"endTime":1172.869,"body":"you could have one in North America, one"},{"startTime":1169.529,"endTime":1172.869,"body":"in South America, that meet somewhere"},{"startTime":1172.869,"endTime":1177.419,"body":"in the middle and still have the whole"},{"startTime":1172.869,"endTime":1177.419,"body":"structure be over geostationary orbit."},{"startTime":1177.719,"endTime":1180.419,"body":"And you could imagine you could"},{"startTime":1177.719,"endTime":1180.419,"body":"potentially have hundreds if not thousands"},{"startTime":1180.419,"endTime":1184.189,"body":"of cables branching all around the world"},{"startTime":1180.419,"endTime":1184.189,"body":"going to one spot, that way you have"},{"startTime":1184.199,"endTime":1187.749,"body":"multiple access points on the ground,"},{"startTime":1184.199,"endTime":1187.749,"body":"and that could give you an excuse for"},{"startTime":1187.749,"endTime":1188.999,"body":"countries working together, right?"},{"startTime":1188.999,"endTime":1189.349,"body":"Like,"},{"startTime":1189.479,"endTime":1191.836,"body":"the United States wanted"},{"startTime":1189.479,"endTime":1191.836,"body":"their own orbital elevator."},{"startTime":1191.836,"endTime":1194.926,"body":"The only way we're getting that in"},{"startTime":1191.836,"endTime":1194.926,"body":"our country would be to find a partner"},{"startTime":1194.926,"endTime":1198.296,"body":"in South America who also wants"},{"startTime":1194.926,"endTime":1198.296,"body":"one and then connect them together"},{"startTime":1198.316,"endTime":1200.176,"body":"because we're not on the equator."},{"startTime":1200.176,"endTime":1202.956,"body":"The whole center of mass of this"},{"startTime":1200.176,"endTime":1202.956,"body":"thing has to be in the equator."},{"startTime":1203.296,"endTime":1206.076,"body":"So it's worth pointing out that"},{"startTime":1203.296,"endTime":1206.076,"body":"it may not just be one point."},{"startTime":1206.076,"endTime":1209.166,"body":"You may have the cable split and go"},{"startTime":1206.076,"endTime":1209.166,"body":"into several different connecting"},{"startTime":1209.166,"endTime":1211.646,"body":"points on the Earth, and that"},{"startTime":1209.166,"endTime":1211.646,"body":"could also provide redundancy."},{"startTime":1211.791,"endTime":1213.781,"body":"that definitely would be beneficial."},{"startTime":1213.867,"endTime":1216.887,"body":"And the reason why I think that it"},{"startTime":1213.867,"endTime":1216.887,"body":"would be is when I think about the Earth"},{"startTime":1216.887,"endTime":1221.707,"body":"spinning with now this massive object"},{"startTime":1216.887,"endTime":1221.707,"body":"just on one side, it makes me think of,"},{"startTime":1221.707,"endTime":1221.917,"body":"like,"},{"startTime":1222.007,"endTime":1223.757,"body":"the centrifuges that we used to work with."},{"startTime":1223.817,"endTime":1223.827,"body":"you,"},{"startTime":1223.827,"endTime":1224.077,"body":"can't"},{"startTime":1224.077,"endTime":1227.407,"body":"just throw something in without a"},{"startTime":1224.077,"endTime":1227.407,"body":"counterweight and just have it spin."},{"startTime":1227.917,"endTime":1232.047,"body":"let's say we build a space elevator"},{"startTime":1227.917,"endTime":1232.047,"body":"on the equator, and we have it branch"},{"startTime":1232.047,"endTime":1235.027,"body":"out into the countries that it can"},{"startTime":1232.047,"endTime":1235.027,"body":"reach from that point in the equator."},{"startTime":1235.547,"endTime":1239.097,"body":"Would it make sense that we would have"},{"startTime":1235.547,"endTime":1239.097,"body":"to build a second space elevator to"},{"startTime":1239.097,"endTime":1242.627,"body":"match on the other side to be able"},{"startTime":1239.097,"endTime":1242.627,"body":"to match that force and not throw the"},{"startTime":1242.657,"endTime":1244.637,"body":"Earth off of its gravitational rotation?"},{"startTime":1244.757,"endTime":1245.747,"body":"That's a fair question."},{"startTime":1245.757,"endTime":1246.417,"body":"not really."},{"startTime":1246.427,"endTime":1249.447,"body":"You are right about the centrifuge,"},{"startTime":1246.427,"endTime":1249.447,"body":"and technically building this"},{"startTime":1249.447,"endTime":1252.107,"body":"thing will slightly change… I"},{"startTime":1249.447,"endTime":1252.107,"body":"think it's called the barycenter."},{"startTime":1252.107,"endTime":1255.147,"body":"It's the point at which two bodies"},{"startTime":1252.107,"endTime":1255.147,"body":"rotate, and so you are adding a"},{"startTime":1255.147,"endTime":1256.617,"body":"lopsided bit of mass to the Earth, and"},{"startTime":1256.987,"endTime":1259.337,"body":"very minutely that would"},{"startTime":1256.987,"endTime":1259.337,"body":"change how it rotates."},{"startTime":1259.377,"endTime":1262.577,"body":"But it's worth pointing out the mass"},{"startTime":1259.377,"endTime":1262.577,"body":"of this elevator versus the mass of the"},{"startTime":1262.577,"endTime":1264.567,"body":"planet, there's a huge discrepancy there."},{"startTime":1264.567,"endTime":1267.657,"body":"This will be nowhere"},{"startTime":1264.567,"endTime":1267.657,"body":"near the mass of Earth."},{"startTime":1267.667,"endTime":1270.587,"body":"So yes, it's out of balance like"},{"startTime":1267.667,"endTime":1270.587,"body":"a centrifuge, but it's almost"},{"startTime":1270.587,"endTime":1272.917,"body":"like having a speck of dust in"},{"startTime":1270.587,"endTime":1272.917,"body":"one part of your centrifuge."},{"startTime":1273.077,"endTime":1274.597,"body":"That's not enough to throw things off."},{"startTime":1274.627,"endTime":1279.007,"body":"You would need a absolutely insane"},{"startTime":1274.627,"endTime":1279.007,"body":"amount of mass connected to the planet"},{"startTime":1279.507,"endTime":1281.427,"body":"to change its rotation like that."},{"startTime":1281.777,"endTime":1284.597,"body":"So it's not really something we'd"},{"startTime":1281.777,"endTime":1284.597,"body":"have to worry about, and you wouldn't"},{"startTime":1284.597,"endTime":1287.477,"body":"need to then go build one on the other"},{"startTime":1284.597,"endTime":1287.477,"body":"side of the planet to balance it."},{"startTime":1287.477,"endTime":1290.047,"body":"You could build them all on one"},{"startTime":1287.477,"endTime":1290.047,"body":"side if you really wanted to."},{"startTime":1290.287,"endTime":1292.777,"body":"You're not gonna change the rotation of"},{"startTime":1290.287,"endTime":1292.777,"body":"the planet by any significant amount."},{"startTime":1292.827,"endTime":1295.147,"body":"You will change it, but"},{"startTime":1292.827,"endTime":1295.147,"body":"not by enough that matters."},{"startTime":1295.247,"endTime":1298.691,"body":"The Three Gorges Dam in China also"},{"startTime":1295.247,"endTime":1298.691,"body":"changed how the Earth rotates because"},{"startTime":1298.691,"endTime":1301.931,"body":"it just stopped so much mass in the"},{"startTime":1298.691,"endTime":1301.931,"body":"form of water on one part of the planet."},{"startTime":1302.251,"endTime":1305.741,"body":"So there will be an effect, but it's"},{"startTime":1302.251,"endTime":1305.741,"body":"not gonna be a measurable one or one"},{"startTime":1305.741,"endTime":1307.891,"body":"that matters practically here on Earth."},{"startTime":1307.901,"endTime":1307.911,"body":"I"},{"startTime":1307.911,"endTime":1308.883,"body":"But with the thought of this,"},{"startTime":1308.898,"endTime":1313.52,"body":"how long the space elevator will be,"},{"startTime":1308.898,"endTime":1313.52,"body":"and how there's just these exposed,"},{"startTime":1313.57,"endTime":1314.17,"body":"you know, not,"},{"startTime":1314.17,"endTime":1317.37,"body":"not super exposed, but there's these"},{"startTime":1314.17,"endTime":1317.37,"body":"crawlers going up and down this cable."},{"startTime":1317.434,"endTime":1321.324,"body":"Our orbit is already littered"},{"startTime":1317.434,"endTime":1321.324,"body":"with, uh, satellites everywhere."},{"startTime":1321.424,"endTime":1323.734,"body":"we would have to clear a path"},{"startTime":1321.424,"endTime":1323.734,"body":"and make sure that path is"},{"startTime":1323.734,"endTime":1325.114,"body":"clear, and then how do we just"},{"startTime":1325.114,"endTime":1329.008,"body":"avoid space debris cutting"},{"startTime":1325.114,"endTime":1329.008,"body":"our space elevator in half?"},{"startTime":1329.018,"endTime":1332.298,"body":"I feel like just the smallest piece, if"},{"startTime":1329.018,"endTime":1332.298,"body":"it destroyed the structural integrity"},{"startTime":1332.298,"endTime":1334.178,"body":"of one, it would be just like with rope."},{"startTime":1334.298,"endTime":1336.248,"body":"Like it splits a little"},{"startTime":1334.298,"endTime":1336.248,"body":"bit, it splits all."},{"startTime":1336.343,"endTime":1339.691,"body":"and that is a huge concern with these"},{"startTime":1336.343,"endTime":1339.691,"body":"elevators as well because, like you"},{"startTime":1339.701,"endTime":1342.761,"body":"said, you are clearing a whole orbit,"},{"startTime":1339.701,"endTime":1342.761,"body":"and also if all the orbits you're"},{"startTime":1342.761,"endTime":1344.791,"body":"clearing, this is the equatorial orbit."},{"startTime":1345.011,"endTime":1347.341,"body":"So you need to make sure that"},{"startTime":1345.011,"endTime":1347.341,"body":"nothing is going to intersect"},{"startTime":1347.341,"endTime":1348.711,"body":"with your cable during that orbit."},{"startTime":1348.881,"endTime":1351.901,"body":"It's not really possible to fully"},{"startTime":1348.881,"endTime":1351.901,"body":"clear that orbit 'cause anything"},{"startTime":1351.911,"endTime":1354.431,"body":"else orbiting the planet will"},{"startTime":1351.911,"endTime":1354.431,"body":"have to intersect with the space"},{"startTime":1354.431,"endTime":1356.061,"body":"elevator's orbit at some point, right?"},{"startTime":1356.061,"endTime":1358.981,"body":"There's no way to avoid that, so"},{"startTime":1356.061,"endTime":1358.981,"body":"it's all gonna come down to timing,"},{"startTime":1358.981,"endTime":1362.631,"body":"and you'll have to very carefully"},{"startTime":1358.981,"endTime":1362.631,"body":"monitor all of your satellites and"},{"startTime":1362.631,"endTime":1365.991,"body":"ensure that they're not gonna hit this"},{"startTime":1362.631,"endTime":1365.991,"body":"really long cable, which is doable."},{"startTime":1366.171,"endTime":1368.671,"body":"we already now have to monitor"},{"startTime":1366.171,"endTime":1368.671,"body":"our satellites to avoid them"},{"startTime":1368.671,"endTime":1369.661,"body":"colliding with other things."},{"startTime":1369.911,"endTime":1372.947,"body":"But this is obviously a much larger"},{"startTime":1369.911,"endTime":1372.947,"body":"section gonna of something that's going"},{"startTime":1372.947,"endTime":1376.577,"body":"to intercept every single possible"},{"startTime":1372.947,"endTime":1376.577,"body":"orbit, so that will be a challenge."},{"startTime":1376.617,"endTime":1379.357,"body":"And for powered satellites,"},{"startTime":1376.617,"endTime":1379.357,"body":"that's not a crazy thing to avoid."},{"startTime":1379.357,"endTime":1382.157,"body":"They can just adjust their orbits as"},{"startTime":1379.357,"endTime":1382.157,"body":"needed to make sure that when they're"},{"startTime":1382.157,"endTime":1385.732,"body":"crossing through the equator, they're not"},{"startTime":1382.157,"endTime":1385.732,"body":"going to intersect when the cable's there."},{"startTime":1385.732,"endTime":1388.537,"body":"But like you said, with space debris,"},{"startTime":1385.732,"endTime":1388.537,"body":"that's a whole other challenge."},{"startTime":1388.777,"endTime":1393.777,"body":"I imagine that by this point in time, what"},{"startTime":1388.777,"endTime":1393.777,"body":"we'll have to do is, for one, you will"},{"startTime":1393.777,"endTime":1397.687,"body":"just have to go and clear out the orbit"},{"startTime":1393.777,"endTime":1397.687,"body":"before you build this orbital elevator."},{"startTime":1397.957,"endTime":1401.207,"body":"You would send ships, you would find"},{"startTime":1397.957,"endTime":1401.207,"body":"all the debris and try to eliminate"},{"startTime":1401.207,"endTime":1404.847,"body":"it, and then once you actually got"},{"startTime":1401.207,"endTime":1404.847,"body":"the elevator built, it would have to"},{"startTime":1404.847,"endTime":1409.217,"body":"have some type of defensive system"},{"startTime":1404.847,"endTime":1409.217,"body":"on it to shoot down any larger chunks"},{"startTime":1409.247,"endTime":1410.667,"body":"that could propose damage to it."},{"startTime":1410.957,"endTime":1413.957,"body":"And you may even have other"},{"startTime":1410.957,"endTime":1413.957,"body":"orbital platforms that are in"},{"startTime":1413.957,"endTime":1414.207,"body":"kind of"},{"startTime":1414.207,"endTime":1415.277,"body":"a similar orbit to it."},{"startTime":1415.433,"endTime":1418.307,"body":"you can't actually put something in orbit"},{"startTime":1415.433,"endTime":1418.307,"body":"near the cable 'cause it's not in a stable"},{"startTime":1418.317,"endTime":1423.447,"body":"orbit, but they would maybe go around and"},{"startTime":1418.317,"endTime":1423.447,"body":"constantly be clearing up the orbit, just"},{"startTime":1423.727,"endTime":1427.737,"body":"orbiting the equator and taking care of"},{"startTime":1423.727,"endTime":1427.737,"body":"anything they see as they see it would"},{"startTime":1427.737,"endTime":1429.127,"body":"really be the only thing you could do."},{"startTime":1429.327,"endTime":1430.277,"body":"So it does get tricky."},{"startTime":1430.477,"endTime":1434.687,"body":"You could potentially maybe put some"},{"startTime":1430.477,"endTime":1434.687,"body":"shielding on it to protect the cable,"},{"startTime":1434.687,"endTime":1437.592,"body":"but that again adds mass, and that"},{"startTime":1434.687,"endTime":1437.592,"body":"means you need an even stronger cable."},{"startTime":1437.917,"endTime":1440.107,"body":"So I do think orbital"},{"startTime":1437.917,"endTime":1440.107,"body":"platforms might work better."},{"startTime":1440.267,"endTime":1442.357,"body":"But they're, like I said, they're"},{"startTime":1440.267,"endTime":1442.357,"body":"a challenge because other than"},{"startTime":1442.357,"endTime":1446.397,"body":"geostationary orbit, no other"},{"startTime":1442.357,"endTime":1446.397,"body":"orbit below that station is stable."},{"startTime":1446.607,"endTime":1449.797,"body":"So you can't park anything next to this"},{"startTime":1446.607,"endTime":1449.797,"body":"elevator without attaching it to it."},{"startTime":1450.387,"endTime":1453.631,"body":"So if you do wanna put a defensive"},{"startTime":1450.387,"endTime":1453.631,"body":"platform It's only gonna intersect"},{"startTime":1453.661,"endTime":1455.241,"body":"that cable on a small amount of time."},{"startTime":1455.571,"endTime":1458.191,"body":"And that's okay 'cause it's just going"},{"startTime":1455.571,"endTime":1458.191,"body":"through this orbit and cleaning it up."},{"startTime":1458.421,"endTime":1460.811,"body":"Not like it has to be"},{"startTime":1458.421,"endTime":1460.811,"body":"parked next to the platform."},{"startTime":1461.241,"endTime":1464.095,"body":"But for anything you miss, you just"},{"startTime":1461.241,"endTime":1464.095,"body":"gotta build a way to handle it."},{"startTime":1464.155,"endTime":1465.085,"body":"There's not much you can do."},{"startTime":1465.401,"endTime":1465.711,"body":"Yeah."},{"startTime":1465.921,"endTime":1467.611,"body":"that is definitely a scary part of it."},{"startTime":1467.711,"endTime":1470.901,"body":"but I'm sure with other technologies,"},{"startTime":1470.931,"endTime":1474.611,"body":"we would be able to limit the amount"},{"startTime":1470.931,"endTime":1474.611,"body":"of random debris that is in that"},{"startTime":1474.611,"endTime":1477.911,"body":"orbit, and then with better computer"},{"startTime":1474.611,"endTime":1477.911,"body":"systems, we could make sure that"},{"startTime":1477.911,"endTime":1482.311,"body":"satellites never interact with the"},{"startTime":1477.911,"endTime":1482.311,"body":"elevator as it's moving along its orbit."},{"startTime":1482.411,"endTime":1485.621,"body":"Yeah, and by this point, you're really"},{"startTime":1482.411,"endTime":1485.621,"body":"established in space, so it's not-"},{"startTime":1485.621,"endTime":1486.331,"body":"hard to imagine."},{"startTime":1486.331,"endTime":1489.381,"body":"You might have a bunch of small"},{"startTime":1486.331,"endTime":1489.381,"body":"satellites, hundreds, thousands of"},{"startTime":1489.391,"endTime":1493.591,"body":"these things constantly scanning for"},{"startTime":1489.391,"endTime":1493.591,"body":"small debris that could intersect with"},{"startTime":1493.631,"endTime":1496.901,"body":"the orbital elevator, and then grabbing"},{"startTime":1493.631,"endTime":1496.901,"body":"it and de-orbiting it and moving it."},{"startTime":1497.075,"endTime":1500.605,"body":"And I imagine that in this point in time,"},{"startTime":1497.075,"endTime":1500.605,"body":"Earth's orbit is a very valuable space,"},{"startTime":1500.745,"endTime":1505.425,"body":"so you likely already have very strict"},{"startTime":1500.745,"endTime":1505.425,"body":"controls on putting clutter and trash"},{"startTime":1505.455,"endTime":1508.535,"body":"into Earth's orbit, and you're constantly"},{"startTime":1505.455,"endTime":1508.535,"body":"monitoring and cleaning it up, and there's"},{"startTime":1508.555,"endTime":1512.175,"body":"probably a good chunk of money always"},{"startTime":1508.555,"endTime":1512.175,"body":"happening to keep this orbit clear,"},{"startTime":1512.225,"endTime":1514.955,"body":"Not just for your space elevator, but"},{"startTime":1512.225,"endTime":1514.955,"body":"for all the other infrastructure that"},{"startTime":1514.955,"endTime":1517.045,"body":"exists in Earth's orbit by this time."},{"startTime":1517.255,"endTime":1517.555,"body":"Mm-hmm."},{"startTime":1517.846,"endTime":1521.106,"body":"And I mentioned earlier that you can"},{"startTime":1517.846,"endTime":1521.106,"body":"use this platform as a launching point"},{"startTime":1521.116,"endTime":1524.936,"body":"to go to other planets because the"},{"startTime":1521.116,"endTime":1524.936,"body":"counterweight actually extends beyond"},{"startTime":1524.976,"endTime":1530.366,"body":"the geosynchronary orbit, and it has"},{"startTime":1524.976,"endTime":1530.366,"body":"more energy than you need for that orbit."},{"startTime":1530.566,"endTime":1533.086,"body":"So if you're attached to the counterweight"},{"startTime":1530.566,"endTime":1533.086,"body":"and you let go, it'll actually fling"},{"startTime":1533.086,"endTime":1536.846,"body":"you into a higher orbit, which is very"},{"startTime":1533.086,"endTime":1536.846,"body":"helpful for traveling to other planets."},{"startTime":1537.056,"endTime":1540.801,"body":"And you could also build orbital"},{"startTime":1537.056,"endTime":1540.801,"body":"elevators on other planets."},{"startTime":1541.246,"endTime":1543.656,"body":"They don't need to be"},{"startTime":1541.246,"endTime":1543.656,"body":"in just Earth's orbit."},{"startTime":1543.956,"endTime":1546.596,"body":"Now, not all planets can"},{"startTime":1543.956,"endTime":1546.596,"body":"have an orbital elevator."},{"startTime":1546.856,"endTime":1548.046,"body":"There are certain limitations."},{"startTime":1548.146,"endTime":1551.326,"body":"Venus, for example, can't have an"},{"startTime":1548.146,"endTime":1551.326,"body":"orbital elevator 'cause it rotates"},{"startTime":1551.326,"endTime":1554.366,"body":"too slow, so you don't have that"},{"startTime":1551.326,"endTime":1554.366,"body":"intersection point of the planet's"},{"startTime":1554.366,"endTime":1557.947,"body":"rotation able to keep the counterweight,"},{"startTime":1554.366,"endTime":1557.947,"body":"without it being way too far."},{"startTime":1558.206,"endTime":1560.197,"body":"And also at that point, you're"},{"startTime":1558.206,"endTime":1560.197,"body":"in the gravity well of the"},{"startTime":1560.197,"endTime":1561.726,"body":"sun, so it wouldn't be stable."},{"startTime":1561.967,"endTime":1564.387,"body":"But Mars can have an orbital"},{"startTime":1561.967,"endTime":1564.387,"body":"elevator, and actually you can do"},{"startTime":1564.387,"endTime":1565.827,"body":"a smaller orbital elevator there."},{"startTime":1565.827,"endTime":1569.497,"body":"So what's barely feasible on Earth"},{"startTime":1565.827,"endTime":1569.497,"body":"is actually quite possible on Mars."},{"startTime":1569.796,"endTime":1572.047,"body":"And so potentially that's another"},{"startTime":1569.796,"endTime":1572.047,"body":"thing we could explore too."},{"startTime":1572.366,"endTime":1575.017,"body":"You could leave Earth, travel"},{"startTime":1572.366,"endTime":1575.017,"body":"to Mars, and then ride down the"},{"startTime":1575.017,"endTime":1578.206,"body":"orbital elevator at Mars, all with"},{"startTime":1575.017,"endTime":1578.206,"body":"very little fuel, which would make"},{"startTime":1578.237,"endTime":1583.066,"body":"doing a Mars colony so much more"},{"startTime":1578.237,"endTime":1583.066,"body":"economical than any other model really."},{"startTime":1583.353,"endTime":1583.743,"body":"Yeah."},{"startTime":1583.853,"endTime":1586.7,"body":"it definitely reduces the amount of"},{"startTime":1583.853,"endTime":1586.7,"body":"tensile strength that you would need"},{"startTime":1586.7,"endTime":1590.45,"body":"to support it, and being able to have"},{"startTime":1586.7,"endTime":1590.45,"body":"that interaction of getting off Earth,"},{"startTime":1590.81,"endTime":1594.51,"body":"leaving on a ship that just flies"},{"startTime":1590.81,"endTime":1594.51,"body":"right over to Mars, landing there."},{"startTime":1594.57,"endTime":1598.83,"body":"No landing, no taking off, which is also"},{"startTime":1594.57,"endTime":1598.83,"body":"the most dangerous parts of these ships."},{"startTime":1599.28,"endTime":1602.01,"body":"it, it saves lives, and it"},{"startTime":1599.28,"endTime":1602.01,"body":"makes everything just easier."},{"startTime":1602.1,"endTime":1604.83,"body":"Yeah, and it just makes Mars so"},{"startTime":1602.1,"endTime":1604.83,"body":"much more economically valuable."},{"startTime":1604.92,"endTime":1606.82,"body":"So that's 100% something we could do."},{"startTime":1607.016,"endTime":1609.79,"body":"The Moon unfortunately can't"},{"startTime":1607.016,"endTime":1609.79,"body":"have an orbital elevator because,"},{"startTime":1609.79,"endTime":1611.29,"body":"again, it just rotates too slow."},{"startTime":1611.54,"endTime":1614.1,"body":"But the Moon's not that hard to get off"},{"startTime":1611.54,"endTime":1614.1,"body":"of, and you could potentially just do like"},{"startTime":1614.1,"endTime":1617.81,"body":"a rail gun system to launch cargo off of"},{"startTime":1614.1,"endTime":1617.81,"body":"the Moon, so that's not a huge concern."},{"startTime":1617.83,"endTime":1619.26,"body":"You could do orbital towers on the Moon."},{"startTime":1619.52,"endTime":1620.62,"body":"These aren't in tensile strength."},{"startTime":1620.62,"endTime":1623.89,"body":"They're actually in compressive strength,"},{"startTime":1620.62,"endTime":1623.89,"body":"and they're basically giant skyscrapers"},{"startTime":1623.89,"endTime":1625.34,"body":"that reach up into the heavens."},{"startTime":1625.465,"endTime":1627.335,"body":"but you still need to get"},{"startTime":1625.465,"endTime":1627.335,"body":"that horizontal velocity."},{"startTime":1627.335,"endTime":1629.455,"body":"If you step off of one of these,"},{"startTime":1627.335,"endTime":1629.455,"body":"you'll fall on the ground, so you still"},{"startTime":1629.455,"endTime":1631.095,"body":"need to get that lateral velocity."},{"startTime":1631.095,"endTime":1633.345,"body":"But thankfully Moon has a"},{"startTime":1631.095,"endTime":1633.345,"body":"very low escape velocity."},{"startTime":1633.605,"endTime":1633.755,"body":"Yeah."},{"startTime":1633.755,"endTime":1634.795,"body":"So that is something you could do."},{"startTime":1634.865,"endTime":1635.745,"body":"Just do a big jump."},{"startTime":1635.88,"endTime":1636.26,"body":"You're good"},{"startTime":1636.26,"endTime":1637.09,"body":"basically a run, yeah."},{"startTime":1637.57,"endTime":1638.33,"body":"Just take off running."},{"startTime":1638.34,"endTime":1639.8,"body":"that is something also you could do."},{"startTime":1639.87,"endTime":1642.2,"body":"And having them on these other"},{"startTime":1639.87,"endTime":1642.2,"body":"planets could really make our"},{"startTime":1642.2,"endTime":1645.24,"body":"solar system so accessible, and"},{"startTime":1642.2,"endTime":1645.24,"body":"that could be a huge benefit."},{"startTime":1645.48,"endTime":1647.67,"body":"But even for Mars, it's an issue"},{"startTime":1645.48,"endTime":1647.67,"body":"'cause you need to have the planet"},{"startTime":1647.67,"endTime":1650.92,"body":"colonized and have the infrastructure"},{"startTime":1647.67,"endTime":1650.92,"body":"there for it to be worth building this"},{"startTime":1650.93,"endTime":1654.68,"body":"structure, which I think at some point"},{"startTime":1650.93,"endTime":1654.68,"body":"we might reach, but not anytime soon"},{"startTime":1654.929,"endTime":1655.209,"body":"Yeah."},{"startTime":1655.659,"endTime":1659.139,"body":"I do wanna talk about what happens"},{"startTime":1655.659,"endTime":1659.139,"body":"when one of these things fail, because"},{"startTime":1659.139,"endTime":1660.339,"body":"that's the huge concern, right?"},{"startTime":1660.339,"endTime":1664.122,"body":"You have this giant cable"},{"startTime":1660.339,"endTime":1664.122,"body":"reaching up 100,000 kilometers"},{"startTime":1664.212,"endTime":1665.612,"body":"what happens if that snaps?"},{"startTime":1665.817,"endTime":1669.407,"body":"well, in my mind, it wouldn't be good,"},{"startTime":1665.817,"endTime":1669.407,"body":"especially if we had it connected"},{"startTime":1669.407,"endTime":1671.207,"body":"across multiple different countries."},{"startTime":1671.457,"endTime":1672.707,"body":"let's say this cable snaps."},{"startTime":1672.707,"endTime":1676.65,"body":"Yes, it'll still have the centrifugal"},{"startTime":1672.707,"endTime":1676.65,"body":"force on it, but that's not"},{"startTime":1676.65,"endTime":1677.97,"body":"going to be enough to keep it,"},{"startTime":1678.149,"endTime":1678.929,"body":"away from Earth."},{"startTime":1678.939,"endTime":1682.735,"body":"It will, I imagine, fall back"},{"startTime":1678.939,"endTime":1682.735,"body":"down  into our planet's orbit"},{"startTime":1682.905,"endTime":1687.035,"body":"destroying things on its way down,"},{"startTime":1682.905,"endTime":1687.035,"body":"and then landing on Earth with the,"},{"startTime":1687.085,"endTime":1688.435,"body":"Earth's gravity pulling it in."},{"startTime":1688.625,"endTime":1690.635,"body":"That fully depends on where it snaps at."},{"startTime":1691.115,"endTime":1691.615,"body":"I see."},{"startTime":1691.705,"endTime":1693.863,"body":"In my thoughts, it would"},{"startTime":1691.705,"endTime":1693.863,"body":"snap  in the middle."},{"startTime":1694.263,"endTime":1698.343,"body":"So if it snapped in the middle, what"},{"startTime":1694.263,"endTime":1698.343,"body":"would happen is the portion of the"},{"startTime":1698.343,"endTime":1701.863,"body":"cable that's still connected to the"},{"startTime":1698.343,"endTime":1701.863,"body":"counterweight would  fall away from Earth."},{"startTime":1702.223,"endTime":1702.383,"body":"Right."},{"startTime":1702.383,"endTime":1703.793,"body":"'Cause remember, this"},{"startTime":1702.383,"endTime":1703.793,"body":"is in tensile strength."},{"startTime":1704.053,"endTime":1705.413,"body":"It's like spinning a bucket on a string."},{"startTime":1705.573,"endTime":1705.783,"body":"So"},{"startTime":1705.783,"endTime":1706.063,"body":"the,"},{"startTime":1706.073,"endTime":1708.343,"body":"the part that's farther away from"},{"startTime":1706.073,"endTime":1708.343,"body":"Earth would actually fly away."},{"startTime":1708.673,"endTime":1712.333,"body":"The part that's closer to Earth, like"},{"startTime":1708.673,"endTime":1712.333,"body":"you said, would effectively wrap itself"},{"startTime":1712.333,"endTime":1716.979,"body":"around the planet, and this would be"},{"startTime":1712.333,"endTime":1716.979,"body":"a pretty devastating,  consequence."},{"startTime":1717.269,"endTime":1718.679,"body":"It would whip itself around."},{"startTime":1718.689,"endTime":1719.969,"body":"It would gain speed, too."},{"startTime":1719.969,"endTime":1720.759,"body":"It's like a whip."},{"startTime":1721.129,"endTime":1723.959,"body":"if you've ever seen the videos of a horse"},{"startTime":1721.129,"endTime":1723.959,"body":"whip, that loud snap they make at the end-"},{"startTime":1724.199,"endTime":1724.459,"body":"Mm-hmm"},{"startTime":1724.459,"endTime":1727.699,"body":"is because you introduce that flick, that"},{"startTime":1724.459,"endTime":1727.699,"body":"wave basically propagates down the whip"},{"startTime":1727.699,"endTime":1730.889,"body":"into the end, and by the time you reach"},{"startTime":1727.699,"endTime":1730.889,"body":"the end of a whip, it's going faster than"},{"startTime":1730.889,"endTime":1732.379,"body":"the speed of sound, and that's that crack."},{"startTime":1732.659,"endTime":1733.729,"body":"Cool videos of it online."},{"startTime":1734.159,"endTime":1735.839,"body":"Fascinating concept when it's on a whip."},{"startTime":1736.329,"endTime":1739.599,"body":"A little bit terrifying when it's on"},{"startTime":1736.329,"endTime":1739.599,"body":"the cable of your orbital elevator"},{"startTime":1739.869,"endTime":1743.259,"body":"falling around your planet, and"},{"startTime":1739.869,"endTime":1743.259,"body":"as it falls, it's accelerating"},{"startTime":1743.259,"endTime":1744.799,"body":"the end of it faster and faster."},{"startTime":1745.109,"endTime":1748.139,"body":"So it would basically whip"},{"startTime":1745.109,"endTime":1748.139,"body":"around your planet, and it would"},{"startTime":1748.139,"endTime":1749.969,"body":"cause a lot of devastation."},{"startTime":1749.979,"endTime":1753.999,"body":"I don't wanna undersell just how"},{"startTime":1749.979,"endTime":1753.999,"body":"devastating that would be for a planet."},{"startTime":1754.519,"endTime":1754.779,"body":"Yeah,"},{"startTime":1754.779,"endTime":1758.499,"body":"just thinking about, first of all, it"},{"startTime":1754.779,"endTime":1758.499,"body":"falling back and wrapping around the"},{"startTime":1758.499,"endTime":1762.209,"body":"planet is crazy, but then like Jake"},{"startTime":1758.499,"endTime":1762.209,"body":"said, the way that it's working is it's"},{"startTime":1762.209,"endTime":1766.269,"body":"concentrating all of that energy and"},{"startTime":1762.209,"endTime":1766.269,"body":"mass into a single point, and hitting"},{"startTime":1766.269,"endTime":1767.909,"body":"it would be like us getting hit with"},{"startTime":1768.095,"endTime":1769.395,"body":"a large asteroid."},{"startTime":1769.535,"endTime":1769.865,"body":"Yes."},{"startTime":1769.885,"endTime":1774.725,"body":"It would potentially be quite devastating,"},{"startTime":1769.885,"endTime":1774.725,"body":"and the worst, absolute worst-case"},{"startTime":1774.725,"endTime":1778.015,"body":"scenario would be the cable breaking"},{"startTime":1774.725,"endTime":1778.015,"body":"at the top, near geosynchronous"},{"startTime":1778.015,"endTime":1778.355,"body":"orbit,"},{"startTime":1778.355,"endTime":1781.325,"body":"that's just even more mass"},{"startTime":1778.355,"endTime":1781.325,"body":"falling down to hit the planet."},{"startTime":1781.565,"endTime":1784.335,"body":"The best-case scenario would be"},{"startTime":1781.565,"endTime":1784.335,"body":"cable breaking at the surface, 'cause"},{"startTime":1784.335,"endTime":1787.385,"body":"if you just let go at the surface,"},{"startTime":1784.335,"endTime":1787.385,"body":"the whole thing would fall away"},{"startTime":1787.385,"endTime":1788.505,"body":"from Earth, and you would be safe."},{"startTime":1788.7,"endTime":1790.62,"body":"the reason why I was thinking"},{"startTime":1788.7,"endTime":1790.62,"body":"it would break at the middle"},{"startTime":1790.62,"endTime":1792.01,"body":"is that would probably be…"},{"startTime":1792.192,"endTime":1792.592,"body":"I don't know."},{"startTime":1792.602,"endTime":1796.142,"body":"Would that be where it has the most"},{"startTime":1792.602,"endTime":1796.142,"body":"tension, or would it be at the very top?"},{"startTime":1796.212,"endTime":1800.456,"body":"It'd be at the top, but near Earth,  it's"},{"startTime":1796.212,"endTime":1800.456,"body":"in the atmosphere, so it's dealing with"},{"startTime":1800.456,"endTime":1803.555,"body":"a lot more dynamic forces, There's also"},{"startTime":1800.456,"endTime":1803.555,"body":"gonna be more things in low Earth orbit,"},{"startTime":1803.555,"endTime":1807.555,"body":"so there's, I think, more of a potential"},{"startTime":1803.555,"endTime":1807.555,"body":"for collisions and dynamic loading there."},{"startTime":1807.935,"endTime":1808.655,"body":"But yeah, you are right."},{"startTime":1808.655,"endTime":1810.555,"body":"The top is where the most of"},{"startTime":1808.655,"endTime":1810.555,"body":"the force is concentrated at."},{"startTime":1810.665,"endTime":1811.015,"body":"Yeah."},{"startTime":1811.065,"endTime":1814.405,"body":"realistically, what probably would"},{"startTime":1811.065,"endTime":1814.405,"body":"have to be done is there would have"},{"startTime":1814.405,"endTime":1815.9,"body":"to be, like, an emergency release."},{"startTime":1816.193,"endTime":1816.333,"body":"Well,"},{"startTime":1816.333,"endTime":1819.343,"body":"the issue with that, though, is once"},{"startTime":1816.333,"endTime":1819.343,"body":"you lose that counterweight, you"},{"startTime":1819.343,"endTime":1820.973,"body":"don't have tensile strength anymore."},{"startTime":1821.163,"endTime":1824.943,"body":"So you could put an emergency release,"},{"startTime":1821.163,"endTime":1824.943,"body":"but that wouldn't stop anything."},{"startTime":1825.008,"endTime":1828.788,"body":"Because once the cable's snapped,"},{"startTime":1825.008,"endTime":1828.788,"body":"it's no longer in tension, so you"},{"startTime":1828.788,"endTime":1831.548,"body":"could let go of it at the Earth,"},{"startTime":1828.788,"endTime":1831.548,"body":"but that wouldn't change anything."},{"startTime":1831.758,"endTime":1833.908,"body":"The cable's still falling"},{"startTime":1831.758,"endTime":1833.908,"body":"down due to gravity."},{"startTime":1834.188,"endTime":1837.588,"body":"The only way the emergency release"},{"startTime":1834.188,"endTime":1837.588,"body":"would work is if it still had the"},{"startTime":1837.588,"endTime":1841.738,"body":"counterweight going beyond geostationary"},{"startTime":1837.588,"endTime":1841.738,"body":"orbit to pull the cable away."},{"startTime":1841.738,"endTime":1844.648,"body":"But once you lose that counterweight,"},{"startTime":1841.738,"endTime":1844.648,"body":"the cable will fall, whether it's"},{"startTime":1844.648,"endTime":1845.908,"body":"connected to the planet or not."},{"startTime":1846.118,"endTime":1846.288,"body":"Well,"},{"startTime":1846.288,"endTime":1849.185,"body":"what if we could predict a"},{"startTime":1846.288,"endTime":1849.185,"body":"collision that was unstoppable?"},{"startTime":1849.635,"endTime":1851.548,"body":"Then at that point, yeah, you"},{"startTime":1849.635,"endTime":1851.548,"body":"could do an emergency release."},{"startTime":1851.588,"endTime":1851.928,"body":"Or I…"},{"startTime":1851.978,"endTime":1852.238,"body":"You know,"},{"startTime":1852.238,"endTime":1853.078,"body":"I'm just trying to think about-"},{"startTime":1853.078,"endTime":1853.148,"body":"No,"},{"startTime":1853.148,"endTime":1855.466,"body":"no, yeah … what would"},{"startTime":1853.148,"endTime":1855.466,"body":"actually break this cable."},{"startTime":1855.561,"endTime":1857.731,"body":"If it is purely based on"},{"startTime":1855.561,"endTime":1857.731,"body":"tension, you'd think that we"},{"startTime":1857.731,"endTime":1859.081,"body":"would have the sensors for it."},{"startTime":1859.361,"endTime":1862.971,"body":"And if we were to, let's"},{"startTime":1859.361,"endTime":1862.971,"body":"say, see tension is getting,"},{"startTime":1862.981,"endTime":1867.931,"body":"to a critical amount, if we were to"},{"startTime":1862.981,"endTime":1867.931,"body":"release it from the planet at its"},{"startTime":1867.931,"endTime":1871.101,"body":"base, wouldn't that relieve some of the"},{"startTime":1867.931,"endTime":1871.101,"body":"tension, and the counterweight would"},{"startTime":1871.101,"endTime":1872.851,"body":"just pull the entire thing into space?"},{"startTime":1872.861,"endTime":1875.051,"body":"Yeah, the counterweight would"},{"startTime":1872.861,"endTime":1875.051,"body":"pull the whole thing into space."},{"startTime":1875.061,"endTime":1876.921,"body":"So that is something you"},{"startTime":1875.061,"endTime":1876.921,"body":"could potentially do."},{"startTime":1876.981,"endTime":1879.511,"body":"It's hard to imagine a situation"},{"startTime":1876.981,"endTime":1879.511,"body":"where you know that's going to happen-"},{"startTime":1879.601,"endTime":1879.831,"body":"Yeah"},{"startTime":1879.841,"endTime":1884.841,"body":"…"},{"startTime":1879.841,"endTime":1884.841,"body":"fast enough to react, ' cause presumably"},{"startTime":1884.841,"endTime":1888.991,"body":"event that just loads the cable"},{"startTime":1884.841,"endTime":1888.991,"body":"really fast, and you can't predict it."},{"startTime":1889.111,"endTime":1890.431,"body":"And once it snaps, it's too late."},{"startTime":1890.481,"endTime":1892.101,"body":"But that is potentially"},{"startTime":1890.481,"endTime":1892.101,"body":"something you could do."},{"startTime":1892.111,"endTime":1896.121,"body":"You could also potentially maybe have"},{"startTime":1892.111,"endTime":1896.121,"body":"countermeasures ready in space, really"},{"startTime":1896.121,"endTime":1900.921,"body":"massive ships that just have a ton"},{"startTime":1896.121,"endTime":1900.921,"body":"of thrust-to-mass ratio and there's a"},{"startTime":1900.921,"endTime":1903.871,"body":"bunch of them always in orbit of the"},{"startTime":1900.921,"endTime":1903.871,"body":"planet so that they're pretty close to"},{"startTime":1903.871,"endTime":1908.081,"body":"the cable in the event of emergency,"},{"startTime":1903.871,"endTime":1908.081,"body":"that if it snaps, they can quickly grab"},{"startTime":1908.081,"endTime":1911.131,"body":"onto the cable and start pulling it"},{"startTime":1908.081,"endTime":1911.131,"body":"away or trying to stabilize its orbit."},{"startTime":1911.381,"endTime":1912.581,"body":"you would have to pull it away, really."},{"startTime":1912.581,"endTime":1915.031,"body":"There's no way to stabilize the orbit"},{"startTime":1912.581,"endTime":1915.031,"body":"if it's connected to the planet."},{"startTime":1915.151,"endTime":1917.831,"body":"I could imagine you could"},{"startTime":1915.151,"endTime":1917.831,"body":"have a fail-safe point, right?"},{"startTime":1917.841,"endTime":1920.981,"body":"So it's going to twist in the"},{"startTime":1917.841,"endTime":1920.981,"body":"direction of Earth's orbit."},{"startTime":1921.271,"endTime":1924.401,"body":"And so if it's gonna fall over the"},{"startTime":1921.271,"endTime":1924.401,"body":"ocean, that will probably cause some"},{"startTime":1924.401,"endTime":1926.531,"body":"issues but maybe not be as devastating."},{"startTime":1926.871,"endTime":1931.421,"body":"So maybe you have somewhere on it massive"},{"startTime":1926.871,"endTime":1931.421,"body":"thrusters that are ready to pull the"},{"startTime":1931.421,"endTime":1937.441,"body":"cable away and a breakaway point somewhere"},{"startTime":1931.421,"endTime":1937.441,"body":"where it can break  and allow some of the"},{"startTime":1937.441,"endTime":1941.131,"body":"cable to fall back to Earth to relieve"},{"startTime":1937.441,"endTime":1941.131,"body":"some stress and to reduce the weight"},{"startTime":1941.141,"endTime":1944.311,"body":"and then allow these thrusters to pull"},{"startTime":1941.141,"endTime":1944.311,"body":"the severed section away and prevent"},{"startTime":1944.311,"endTime":1945.611,"body":"it from whipping around the planet."},{"startTime":1945.761,"endTime":1946.231,"body":"I see."},{"startTime":1946.251,"endTime":1949.021,"body":"And you may actually have several of these"},{"startTime":1946.251,"endTime":1949.021,"body":"breakaway sections all the way through,"},{"startTime":1949.311,"endTime":1952.511,"body":"so it can break into a bunch of different"},{"startTime":1949.311,"endTime":1952.511,"body":"pieces and be easier to manage, and they"},{"startTime":1952.511,"endTime":1953.981,"body":"could all launch away from the planet."},{"startTime":1954.401,"endTime":1957.561,"body":"That does add mass, and that does add"},{"startTime":1954.401,"endTime":1957.561,"body":"material constraints, and that also"},{"startTime":1957.571,"endTime":1960.831,"body":"means you have to have these breakaway"},{"startTime":1957.571,"endTime":1960.831,"body":"points, which are hard to imagine."},{"startTime":1960.831,"endTime":1964.891,"body":"But that is probably realistically"},{"startTime":1960.831,"endTime":1964.891,"body":"the only way you could design"},{"startTime":1964.891,"endTime":1966.331,"body":"this system in a fail-safe way."},{"startTime":1966.561,"endTime":1970.631,"body":"And even then, it will do damage,"},{"startTime":1966.561,"endTime":1970.631,"body":"but you are at least mitigating it."},{"startTime":1970.701,"endTime":1971.101,"body":"Yeah."},{"startTime":1971.143,"endTime":1972.233,"body":"definitely is hard to imagine"},{"startTime":1972.58,"endTime":1972.7,"body":"Like,"},{"startTime":1972.7,"endTime":1976.82,"body":"yes, we built this"},{"startTime":1972.7,"endTime":1976.82,"body":"giant, tether and, every,"},{"startTime":1977.31,"endTime":1977.86,"body":"you know,"},{"startTime":1978.16,"endTime":1980.89,"body":"100 kilometers there's a little"},{"startTime":1978.16,"endTime":1980.89,"body":"spot where if you push a button"},{"startTime":1980.89,"endTime":1982.09,"body":"the entire thing breaks away."},{"startTime":1982.16,"endTime":1984.36,"body":"Yeah, and a thruster"},{"startTime":1982.16,"endTime":1984.36,"body":"ready to carry you away."},{"startTime":1984.37,"endTime":1984.39,"body":"Yeah."},{"startTime":1984.4,"endTime":1987.23,"body":"we would like for you guys to"},{"startTime":1984.4,"endTime":1987.23,"body":"ride this into space now, please."},{"startTime":1987.25,"endTime":1988.7,"body":"the nice thing is the pods"},{"startTime":1988.742,"endTime":1990.672,"body":"they have to be designed to"},{"startTime":1988.742,"endTime":1990.672,"body":"leave an atmosphere, so they're"},{"startTime":1990.672,"endTime":1991.924,"body":"basically tiny spaceships."},{"startTime":1992.191,"endTime":1994.761,"body":"failsafe for them would be having"},{"startTime":1992.191,"endTime":1994.761,"body":"some type of thruster that's"},{"startTime":1994.781,"endTime":1997.681,"body":"able to gain the orbital speed"},{"startTime":1994.781,"endTime":1997.681,"body":"they need before they fall back."},{"startTime":1997.711,"endTime":2001.861,"body":"But that would be a challenge, and also"},{"startTime":1997.711,"endTime":2001.861,"body":"you have to carry that weight up and down."},{"startTime":2001.951,"endTime":2005.368,"body":"And the issue is, like I said, if"},{"startTime":2001.951,"endTime":2005.368,"body":"these fall, they don't have the"},{"startTime":2005.368,"endTime":2008.668,"body":"speed they need to stay in orbit,"},{"startTime":2005.368,"endTime":2008.668,"body":"and that becomes a bigger issue the"},{"startTime":2008.668,"endTime":2010.558,"body":"lower you are down closer to Earth."},{"startTime":2010.838,"endTime":2014.238,"body":"And so there would just be, I think"},{"startTime":2010.838,"endTime":2014.238,"body":"no matter what you did, unless you"},{"startTime":2014.238,"endTime":2017.288,"body":"were basically carrying rocket ships"},{"startTime":2014.238,"endTime":2017.288,"body":"up to you, which defeats the whole"},{"startTime":2017.288,"endTime":2021.768,"body":"point of the orbital elevator, there"},{"startTime":2017.288,"endTime":2021.768,"body":"would be a point where it's probably"},{"startTime":2021.768,"endTime":2024.738,"body":"no longer safe or there's no longer"},{"startTime":2021.768,"endTime":2024.738,"body":"enough energy in these rocket motors"},{"startTime":2024.988,"endTime":2026.148,"body":"to get you into a stable orbit."},{"startTime":2026.158,"endTime":2030.268,"body":"And if it fails at that point and you're"},{"startTime":2026.158,"endTime":2030.268,"body":"in the pod, there's nothing anyone can do."},{"startTime":2030.49,"endTime":2033.19,"body":"so then you're just relying on parachutes,"},{"startTime":2030.49,"endTime":2033.19,"body":"which you could use parachutes too."},{"startTime":2033.19,"endTime":2037.29,"body":"You're not reentering at orbital speed,"},{"startTime":2033.19,"endTime":2037.29,"body":"so burning up is less of an issue than"},{"startTime":2037.3,"endTime":2039.08,"body":"if you were trying to reenter the orbit."},{"startTime":2039.08,"endTime":2040.72,"body":"So there are less forces in that way."},{"startTime":2040.92,"endTime":2044.17,"body":"So maybe a combination of"},{"startTime":2040.92,"endTime":2044.17,"body":"parachutes for lower Earth orbit."},{"startTime":2044.43,"endTime":2048.4,"body":"These can detach, thrust away like a veto"},{"startTime":2044.43,"endTime":2048.4,"body":"tower on a rocket and parachute down."},{"startTime":2048.4,"endTime":2051.86,"body":"And then for the higher orbits"},{"startTime":2048.4,"endTime":2051.86,"body":"where there's lower energy required,"},{"startTime":2052.19,"endTime":2054.52,"body":"they have a rocket motor that"},{"startTime":2052.19,"endTime":2054.52,"body":"can enter into a stable orbit."},{"startTime":2054.925,"endTime":2057.495,"body":"definitely is nice to think"},{"startTime":2054.925,"endTime":2057.495,"body":"about, there could be options."},{"startTime":2057.573,"endTime":2059.886,"body":"I'm just thinking about riding"},{"startTime":2057.573,"endTime":2059.886,"body":"on it when it would break."},{"startTime":2059.896,"endTime":2063.256,"body":"I just feel like the initial vibration"},{"startTime":2059.896,"endTime":2063.256,"body":"from it would just instantly kill you."},{"startTime":2063.307,"endTime":2066.256,"body":"don't know if you've ever seen like"},{"startTime":2063.307,"endTime":2066.256,"body":"metal snap and just like that like"},{"startTime":2066.256,"endTime":2068.424,"body":"initial snap  is incredibly violent."},{"startTime":2068.504,"endTime":2071.354,"body":"That is true, but that would propagate"},{"startTime":2068.504,"endTime":2071.354,"body":"through the cable at the speed of"},{"startTime":2071.354,"endTime":2074.744,"body":"sound for that material, which is gonna"},{"startTime":2071.354,"endTime":2074.744,"body":"be slower than the speed of light."},{"startTime":2074.754,"endTime":2078.244,"body":"So you could- release from the"},{"startTime":2074.754,"endTime":2078.244,"body":"cable and get away from it."},{"startTime":2078.524,"endTime":2079.604,"body":"Physics is so cool."},{"startTime":2079.954,"endTime":2080.134,"body":"Yeah."},{"startTime":2080.134,"endTime":2083.024,"body":"So- … so there is a potential"},{"startTime":2080.134,"endTime":2083.024,"body":"there you can actually separate from"},{"startTime":2083.024,"endTime":2084.094,"body":"the cable and move away from it-"},{"startTime":2084.144,"endTime":2086.194,"body":"before that energy reached down to you."},{"startTime":2086.354,"endTime":2087.344,"body":"Absolutely, yeah."},{"startTime":2087.354,"endTime":2088.158,"body":"Dude, so cool."},{"startTime":2088.221,"endTime":2090.551,"body":"And if you have breakaway points,"},{"startTime":2088.221,"endTime":2090.551,"body":"you could break the cable hopefully"},{"startTime":2090.551,"endTime":2092.151,"body":"before that energy transfer happened."},{"startTime":2092.268,"endTime":2094.688,"body":"But it would be a very violent thing"},{"startTime":2092.268,"endTime":2094.688,"body":"to happen no matter how you slice it."},{"startTime":2094.918,"endTime":2095.828,"body":"Yeah, but still."},{"startTime":2095.868,"endTime":2097.398,"body":"definitely a lot of fail-safes in place."},{"startTime":2097.438,"endTime":2101.271,"body":"Hope that they would be implemented"},{"startTime":2097.438,"endTime":2101.271,"body":"or we would just have created"},{"startTime":2101.271,"endTime":2103.781,"body":"a, object that has tensile"},{"startTime":2101.271,"endTime":2103.781,"body":"strength that gives us a,"},{"startTime":2103.781,"endTime":2105.401,"body":"chance of failure close to zero."},{"startTime":2105.491,"endTime":2107.511,"body":"Yeah, but there's no such thing"},{"startTime":2105.491,"endTime":2107.511,"body":"as zero, and even then you're"},{"startTime":2107.511,"endTime":2108.491,"body":"gonna want safety measures."},{"startTime":2108.491,"endTime":2110.611,"body":"So it is fascinating to think about."},{"startTime":2110.989,"endTime":2111.159,"body":"Well,"},{"startTime":2111.159,"endTime":2112.439,"body":"thank you all for joining."},{"startTime":2112.509,"endTime":2115.659,"body":"I hope you enjoyed the episode, and next"},{"startTime":2112.509,"endTime":2115.659,"body":"week we're gonna be talking about how"},{"startTime":2115.709,"endTime":2119.219,"body":"interstellar spaceships could actually"},{"startTime":2115.709,"endTime":2119.219,"body":"handle running into debris at near"},{"startTime":2119.219,"endTime":2121.839,"body":"the speed of light, the engineering"},{"startTime":2119.219,"endTime":2121.839,"body":"that go behind that, and the type of"},{"startTime":2121.839,"endTime":2123.249,"body":"fail-safes you would have to look at."},{"startTime":2123.359,"endTime":2126.319,"body":"So if that sounds like a fascinating"},{"startTime":2123.359,"endTime":2126.319,"body":"topic, join us next week, which"},{"startTime":2126.329,"endTime":2128.509,"body":"is actually next week, 'cause"},{"startTime":2126.329,"endTime":2128.509,"body":"we're doing weekly episodes now."},{"startTime":2128.559,"endTime":2129.049,"body":"That's right."},{"startTime":2129.169,"endTime":2132.699,"body":"And if you like the show, consider"},{"startTime":2129.169,"endTime":2132.699,"body":"supporting us on Patreon or subscribing"},{"startTime":2132.699,"endTime":2134.199,"body":"on your podcast platform of choice."},{"startTime":2134.559,"endTime":2135.629,"body":"Anything is appreciated."},{"startTime":2135.859,"endTime":2136.279,"body":"Take care."},{"startTime":2136.459,"endTime":2136.939,"body":"Thank you, guys."},{"startTime":2136.949,"endTime":2137.619,"body":"See you next week."}]}