Is it possible to build a tower high enough to reach space at enough distance from earth for 0 gravity?

Question

Imagine if this were possible- we could simply through our garbage and even nuclear waste into space, provided we give them enough of a push so that they don't keep orbiting.

Can such a building be built though? How high would it need to be, and how wide might it need to be at its base?

This would be better than the silly rockets, wouldn't it?

Answer 1

At some point the build would crush under it's own weight. And it would not be good to throw anything into space just cause something clears our orbit, dosen't mean it won't get stuck in the moons or mars's orbit.

Answer 2

In order to negate earth's gravity so close to earth, you actually have to achieve ORBIT, which means your velocity is high enough to cause orbit. The acceleration required to achieve this velocity is not possible, because you would have to have too big a cross section in your "tower"; it would collapse under its own weight.

As far as the orbiting satellite and the elevator - I find it hard to believe that this is seriously being "researched". You have all the same problems. Plus, even if you could rocket the tip of the rope to "catch up" to the satellite, the energy required to put a payload up the ladder would be the same as if you "launched" it, again because of the velocity required to achieve orbit.

These guys need to go back to physics "101" and have a refresher on the chapter titled "Escape Velocity".

Answer 3

Well you'd have to go an insane distance to reach near 0 gravity. Geosync would only be at 42000 km, and you'd have to go MUCH further than that.

Even if you could build it, your not saving any energy. It would still take the same amount of energy as a rocket to reach the same point (work = mgh).

Plus, dumping trash in space is a bad idea. Maybe in the future we'll develop ways to convert that trash into valuable resources. I

Answer 4

You could fly it a foot off the ground if you could get it going fast enough to stay in orbit. The whole point of the space station is scientific experiment in low gravity though so much closer to Earth it wouldn't have a point.

Answer 5

You wanna talk about silly?.........The tower would have to be about 22,000 miles tall, the height at which geostationary satellites orbit. That is the altitude where the centripetal acceleration equals the gravitational acceleration at altitude. So, let's see, a base of about 50 miles square, structural steel equal to the world's total out put for 1000 years, turn all citizens into slave laborers.......

Interesting challenge; I hope you will provide the financing

I think we better continue to use our biggest rockets to send the garbage to Mars

Answer 6

The short answer is no. Using current materials, construction methods, and engineering, it is an impossible feat, for now. If it were possible, how would you get the waste products up the tower? Have someone climb? What happens when you reach the outer edge of the atmosphere?

Answer 7

Nasa was actually exploring the option of building a space tower using extremely durable synthetic materials tethered in space by what basically would amount to a geosyncronous asteroid. I think they were planning on some sort of space elevator..

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2005/27jul_nanotech.htm

Check that out.

Answer 8

No .. To escape the earth's gravity to must go an infinite distance or until another body's gravity is stronger than ours. You'd have to go about 80% to the moon and since the moon rotates around the earth, you could never build a tower to follow its orbit.

Answer 9

A tower from earth....No...
There is current research going on to place a heavy
geo-stationary satellite in orbit connected to earth by
a carbon fiber rope which would be climbed by eleavators
from earth into space..

Answer 10

WHY
YOU CANT BUILD A TOWER TO REACH SPACE
it would float away
the sun would melt it
people are always on their cell phones
wind would knock it down
president Bush would declare it a terrorist attack and take u to war for a long long long time
terrorist would fly a plane into it
God himself would knock it down like he did in the bible