加拿大2万米天梯希望获得美国专利权（在线收听）

加拿大2万米天梯希望获得美国专利权

According to Thoth Technologies the elevator would run inside an inflatable tower.

据索斯科技公司称，这座天梯内部将会有一座充气塔。

Launching space vehicles from its top would be much cheaper.

而从天梯顶部发射太空飞行器造价会更为低廉。

“We think it's realistic. We're looking to license the patent to Google or Alphabet, SpaceX, Elon Musk, maybe the European Space Agency,and we think that in three to five years a 1.5-kilometer prototype model-full-scale model-could be accomplished."

“我们认为已经成为现实。我们正在寻求谷歌或Alphabet,SpaceX,Elon Musk,以及欧洲航天局等的许可专利,我们设想在3到5年内能够完成一座长达1.5公里的全尺寸模型。”

The company estimates that its elevator could carry 10 tons of cargo at approximately 11 kilometers per hour, reaching the top in about 60 minutes.

公司估计这座天梯携带10吨重的货物速度每小时可达到11公里,而抵达顶部耗时60分钟。

From there passengers and cargo could easily reach the orbit and beyond.

乘客和货物从那里可以很容易前往轨道。

There would be other opportunities too.

同样也存在其他机遇。

“Tourism is one. You'd have a great sight of the earth at 20 kilometers up, you'd see about 1,000 kilometers in any direction,."

“旅游业就是其中之一。你会在20公外欣赏到地球的壮丽景色,你能看到任何方向大约1000公里。”

Another idea being developed is a space elevator.

正在设想阶段的另一个想法是一部太空电梯。

A laser-powered car traveling along a ribbon made of strong and light nanotubes, stretched between Earth and a satellite in the geostationary orbit.

一辆激光动力汽车沿着地球及静止轨道卫星之间一条由强力及轻柔纳米管制造而成的纳米管上旅行。

A number of experiments have been conducted but the biggest obstacle remains: how to manufacture a 36,000-kilometer-long ribbon.

尽管已经进行了许多相关实验,但最大的难题是如何制造36000公里长的这条带子。