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07 September 2001

The Beanstalk Project

This project is a volunteer design project for launching a tethered balloon platform at stratospheric altitudes and maintaining it there for extended periods -- weeks or longer. At first glance, it looks implausible. (To quote a heckler, "Soon you will make it impossible for ANY mental patients to access the internet.") But I've been able to do some preliminary calculations which indicate that this feat might be achievable with reasonable safety margins. Though it cannot be described with a simple catenary model (there being no assumption of static force), the operational limits involved can be put in that context. I'm now looking for a more complete description.

-CME

 

For more information, visit http://members.aol.com/beanstalkr/project/

 

Note: This announcement is provided for information purposes only and does not constitute an endorsement by SAS.