Space Elevator Journal

The Right Way to Get to Space

Space Elevator Segment on NOVA scienceNOW (PBS)

The January 9, 2007 broadcast of NOVA scienceNOW has a segment about building a space elevator. Reading the synopsis, it sounds like it focuses heavily on the recent XPrize Cup.

A 2-minute preview of the show is available in several flavours.

QuickTime high | low RealVideo high | low Windows Media high | low

There's also some excellent collateral material. One in the form of a Flash presentation entitled Why Build It with answers by none other than Dr. Brad Edwards. The same presentation is available in HTML format.

Source: WGBH Boston

In a video extra available on the show's web site the NOVA scienceNOW's host, Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson*, pays a visit to Liftport Group's CEO Michael Laine and Tom Nugent to see a demo of Liftport's robot climber in this short video available in QuickTime high and low speed versions and RealVideo high and low speed versions as well. The intro is voiced by producer Joe McMaster.

* Dr. deGrasse Tyson has an impressive list of credentials. The man's an astrophysicist, author of 7 books, and director of the Hayden Planetarium in the Rose Center For Earth and Space at the American Museum of Natural History. He graduated from New York City's Bronx High School of Science before studying physics at Harvard and going on to receive his doctorate in astrophysics from Columbia University.

That makes his comment at the end of the video that he's "still a little bit skeptical" disturbing. I'll try to follow up with him and see what he meant by that or maybe he'll post a comment below. He still thought enough of the SE concept to ask for the first ride. :) --PB--

Labels: Space elevator