What technology is most likely to take us to the stars??

[Ozymandyus]

Maybe on helium.

The idea itself sounds far more workable than a rigid cable elevator of some sort.

A flexible structure, self-lifting nice idea. But the article states that it would be possible to build this with todays technology -I don't think so- and denies that there are nano tubes. Well of course these tubes are expensive but they are availabel.


Are there any calculations if such a long... kind of lever... would affect earths trajectory?

It doesn't deny the existence of nanotubes, it denies 'ribbons woven from superstrong nanotubes' which do not exist yet.
Sure, there are nanotubes, but you can't build them into a cable a meter long much less hundreds of miles long. And its not just because they are rare, we do not yet have the technology to build large scale nanotube materials yet.

Not that I think the idea of a helium filled tower has any merit. But no it would not affect the earth's trajectory.

 

[Pulsar]

It would require a vast amount of helium. I read somewhere that the 15km version would need ten years of the entire world's helium production to fill it. Also, since the atmospheric pressure decreases with altitude, shouldn't the helium tubes be larger on top to generate enough buoyancy? And to withstand the winds at that height...

 

[Ozymandyus]

I don't think its actually about bouyancy at those heights but about internal pressure causing external rigidity. For example, I could fill up an air mattress with water and stand it upright probably, (if the material was strong enough to hold the amount of water necessary to fill it to rigidity.) Helium is just used because it is the least heavy and therefore the entire structure will weigh less(thus requiring less external rigidity and less internal pressure to keep the weight up, it could presumably be done with other heavier than air gasses too.

Still, not a worthwhile endeavor by any means. I doubt you could use it as a launching pad or anything for example, its uses seem limited to tourism basically. Spending billions of dollars for a good view seems pretty silly to me.

 

[Pulsar]

its uses seem limited to tourism basically. Spending billions of dollars for a good view seems pretty silly to me.

I can't help imagining a bunch of seasick people, vomiting and wobbling on the world's biggest bounce house :lol: