From: zenadsl6186@zen.co.uk   
      
   hephaestus@phreaker.net wrote:   
      
   >   
   > jim wrote:   
   >> I havent got a clue about the physicle forces on such a wire, but it   
   >> seems like it would only  be 4 times the length of a space elevator..   
   >> is it posible?   
   >   
   > The distance isn't constant.  That alone should make it impossible.   
   >   
      
   Why?   
      
      
      
      
   The lunar end doesn't have to be at the lunar pole, it can be on the equator   
   - the moon always has one face turned to the earth.   
      
      
   Suppose a 1km high tower at the Earth's N pole. Attach a rope to the moon.   
   Even if it goes in a straight line towards the moon (which would require a   
   huge tension to overcome the bending due to gravity), it will still   
   intersect the earth's surface - the plane of the moon's orbit is not on the   
   Earth's rotational plane.   
      
   There is no spot at the earth's pole where the moon is constantly visible.   
   So the earth end can't be attached at the pole.   
      
      
      
   You could suspend a rope from the moon so that the Earth end was a 100 or 50   
   or perhaps even 20 km or so up in space, held in position by the earth's   
   gravity. The earth end would move around at about one revolution per day,   
   and have a ground speed of about 1,000 mph.   
      
   Reaching the end at a comparable velocity could be easily done with a winged   
   single stage, perhaps even an airbreather.   
      
      
      
   But I can't work put a way for it to be attached to the earth. Unless you   
   build a huge multi kilomile railroad around the pole or something.   
      
      
   --   
   Peter Fairbrother   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)