Payload Design for the Space Elevator Climber

Abstract

It is feasible, with present-day or soon-to-be available technology, to build a 20-tonne space elevator climber with room for 10 tonnes of payload. The type of payload will require modifications to the climber design and affect the stresses in the climber and in the space elevator tether. An iterative, finite element analysis was undertaken to study these stresses and to provide a first conceptual design of a payload support structure. The example of liquid oxygen transport to orbit was chosen. Unexpected stresses due to off-center payloads, uneven compressive forces due to overhung payload mass and unequal tensions in the tether were uncovered and solutions for alleviating these stresses were incorporated into the final design. Though the design for the support of liquid oxygen tanks was specialized for that particular payload, a similar design could be used for more general cargo and might resemble that used for intermodal freight containers. Keywords: Space Elevator, Engineering, Design, Finite Element Analysis