The main tank, brimful with ideas. Enjoy them, discuss them, take them. - Of course, this is also the #1 place for new submissions!
By mprotactinium
#10508
Use the ever expanding Sahara desert to construct a 13.5 mile tall pyramid of sand composite with a 1/2 square mile launch pad at the top. It would require the movement of around 3,200 cubic miles of sand that the 3.5 million square mile desert could easily supply. After initial construction costs for space launch would become minimal and could be used for centuries to come.

Reward: Human enlightenment
By RustyStrings
#10639
Everest is about 5 1/2 miles high. Supplemental oxygen highly reccomended. The MiG25, SR-71, U-2 and the XB-70 could fly that high, but not much else. Probably means everything would have to be trucked up, and if I can't breathe, I don't wanna know how poorly a truck would run. Plus the rocket itself has to be brought up, and its fuel. Other problem I see is that putting sand that high in the atmosphere could result in the high-level winds becoming polluted with tons of flying sand...

On the other hand, that's outside the box. And requires less 'unobtanium' in theory than some 'space elevator.' Any thoughts? Perhaps scale it down a tad and use a 'supergun' a la Gerald Bull or an electromagnetic mass driver? A big sand hill would be an asset to either, even if not thirteen and a half miles high. Besides, excavating that much sand, we might find some kind of Stargate (TM?) thingy.
By thedoc7777
#10651
another thing to consider is the environmental effects of a man-made mountain- wind patterns, percipitation and erosion. Although it might spur another idea in the sense of creating a "mountain" to alter the environmental situation around that area. Usually the lee side of the mountain receives little to no percipitation but you could create a lush forest on the near side.
By mprotactinium
#10657
Thank you for the replies. I had a conveyor belt in mind to pull items up after O2 is low. As for environmental concerns, I forsee them as minimal, the Sahara receives very little rainfall. Although it may congest enough clouds to create enough rain on one side for a little life.
By mprotactinium
#10658
[quote="mprotactinium"]Thank you for the replies. I had a conveyor belt in mind to pull items up after O2 is low. As for environmental concerns, I forsee them as minimal, the Sahara receives very little rainfall. Although it may congest enough clouds to create enough rain on one side for a little life. It would be a sand composite not an aggregate so it shouldn't blow away in the upper atmosphere.
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