An American private company has made a significant advance in achieving a grand goal: establishing a stairway connecting Earth to space, according to the website of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
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| The robot vehicle ascending along the cable during the experiment on September 20. |
This experiment was conducted secretly on September 20 and is regarded as the first trial in utilizing a space elevator for transporting goods from Earth to outer space.
The future space elevator is envisioned as a cable made from carbon nanotubes, stretching 100,000 kilometers from Earth into the sky. One end will be anchored at a location in the Pacific Ocean along the equator, while the other end is stabilized by a counterweight. The lift mechanism is a robotic vehicle that ascends and descends along this carbon nanotube cable to transport people and satellites into space.
Mr. Lain, the CEO of the company, revealed that the experiment took place at a secret location in Eastern Washington. Due to the nature of the experiment, the exact location was not disclosed, primarily for safety reasons. He stated, “If the vehicle were to fall from the cable, we wouldn’t want anyone at the site to be harmed.”
The experiment utilized a lightweight balloon with a diameter of 1 meter, tethered by a cord. From the balloon, a ladder made of fiberglass was deployed, allowing the robotic vehicle to ascend and descend along it.
Mr. Lain boasted that this robotic vehicle, referred to as Version 18, is significantly smarter than the first version. Its name is “Sword of Damocles,” it operates on batteries, features two motors, and has a cargo compartment. During the experiment, the vehicle reached a height of 305 meters.
Mr. Lain said, “The success of this experiment makes us believe that we can go even higher. We may use helium balloons to reach higher altitudes; we will conduct a series of experiments. Next, we will test the information systems, transmission devices, global positioning tools, temperature measurements, and imaging systems. We will reach the heights we desire.”
The timing for the next experiment has yet to be determined, as weather conditions play a crucial role. Lain mentioned that his company plans to conduct the next experiment in about a month, with other locations in Colorado and North Carolina also selected aside from Washington.
Lan Huong
