Books by Cathy Swan

A NEW Space Transportation Paradigm has emerged. Ideas brought forward in this report are presented in clear and understandable ways, although a revolutionary concept is becoming real. The envisioned cooperative and collaborative operations between rockets and space elevators will benefit mankind into the next century. 1- Space Elevators can be accomplished because there is a material for the tether, 2- Space Elevators are Earth Friendly, and 3- Space Elevators ENABLE Interplanetary Missions with:o Fast Transit to Mars (as short as 61 days, with variations out to 400+)o Can release towards Mars EVERY day (no 26 month wait)o Can move massive amounts of cargo (170,000 Metric tonnes/year to GEO and beyond)

The subject selected for this 2013 study is the Space Elevator Tether Climber. The objective of the one year study was to survey current concepts and technologies related to tether climbers, identify critical issues, questions, and concerns, assess their impact on the development of space elevators, and project towards the future. The following are a few of the conclusions:¿ The study used the concept of "constant power" as a baseline because of its ability to lower design requirements on the tether climber. ¿ The mass breakout of 6 MT for a climber and 14 MT for customer payloads seems feasible. The estimate is that with a travel time of one week to GEO seven tether climbers can be on a tether simultaneously. ¿ The communication architecture should be integrated into the space elevator infrastructure and nodal layout. ¿ Solar power, as the sole source, appears achievable.¿ The use of laser power as the sole source also seems achievable.