Can carbon nanotubes be used for space elevator?
Can carbon nanotubes be used for space elevator?
Long, Stretchy Carbon Nanotubes Could Make Space Elevators Possible. A space elevator would extend 22,000 miles above the Earth to a station, and then another 40,000 miles to a weighted structure for stability. An elevator car would be attached to the nanotube cable and powered into space along the track.
Could carbon nanotubes be used to create an elevator to the moon?
That’s bad news for people who want to build a space elevator, a cable between the Earth and an orbiting satellite that would provide easy access to space. Estimates suggest such a cable would need a tensile strength of 50 GPa, so CNTs were a promising solution, but Ding’s research suggests they won’t work.
What is a quality of carbon nanotubes that makes them a good option for a space elevator cable?
For the space elevator applications, the tensile strength and density of CNTs are the most important characteristics. The tensile strength of CNTs has been theorized as ≈150 GPa which is superior to steel at 5 GPa. Furthermore, the density of CNTs is 1300 kg/m3 almost six times lower than that of steel.
What material would a space elevator be made of?
Cable materials
| Material | Tensile strength (MPa) | Density (kg/m3) |
|---|---|---|
| Steel | 5,000 | 7,900 |
| Kevlar | 3,600 | 1,440 |
| Single wall carbon nanotube | 130,000 | 1,300 |
How strong are carbon nanotubes?
One property of nanotubes is that they’re really, really strong. Tensile strength is a measure of the amount of force an object can withstand without tearing apart. The tensile strength of carbon nanotubes is approximately 100 times greater than that of steel of the same diameter.
Is graphene strong enough for a space elevator?
It is the strongest material ever tested and will be strong enough to make a space elevator tether. To answer your question, single-crystal graphene is the material that can make space elevator tethers.
Would a space elevator have to be on the equator?
The only spot you can put a satellite in orbit where it won’t move relative to the surface of the Earth is right above the equator. So the center of mass of a space elevator needs to be above the Equator, and it’s a lot simpler to put the whole thing there.
Would a space elevator slow the Earth rotation?
Building the elevator will slow the earth by a negligible amount. Over time, launching spacecraft will slow it more but bringing back ore from the asteroid mines will speed it back up.
Do nanotubes conduct electricity?
Carbon nanotubes have a very high melting point, as each carbon atom is joined to three other carbon atoms by strong covalent bonds. This also leaves each carbon atom with a spare electron, which forms a sea of delocalised electrons within the tube, meaning nanotubes can conduct electricity.