Space Fountain
Space Fountain
Image from Anders Sandberg
Vertical stream of magnetically accelerated pellets reaching out into space, where a station held aloft by its momentum reverses the direction and directs it towards a receiver on the ground. This stream can be used to support a structure, and/or lift cargo into space from a planetary surface.

Space fountains are useful where a full-length Space Elevator is not possible or otherwise undesirable.

Essentially a simpler version of a Lofstrom loop. See also Space Fountains and Orbital Loops
 
Related Articles
  • Lofstrom Loop
  • Lorrey Loop - Text by Steve Bowers
    Advanced form of Lofstrom Loop using three geostationary terminii in orbit at the points of an equilateral triangle, and three ground terminii opposite them, connected by a stream of vessels or particles which travel in Hofmann orbits (except when in the atmosphere), thereby saving energy.
  • Rotovator
  • Space Fountains and Orbital Rings
 
Appears in Topics
Drytech/HylotechHigh Tech / HitechInfrastructure
Megascale EngineeringSurface-To-Orbit Transport
 
Development Notes
Text by Anders Sandberg in his Transhuman Terminology

Initially published on 31 December 2007.