VOLUME 0: ELEVATIONAL Table of Contents

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Long term deployment 
of space borne enterprises

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 require reliable raising to orbit 
of Earth bound resources

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without risky rockets.

Volume 0: ELEVATIONAL

1.	NEED TO ELEVATE. Humanity's space presence will require frequent, reliable elevation of Earth resources into orbit.  BACKGROUND: Traditional Space Elevator's "tether" concept could be a start.
2.	UP-LINK TETHER: Climbers Ascend Tether to GEO Node. Associated "strain" might break even the strongest cable at anytime. Thus, a physical cable requires an instant backup capability.
3.	DOWN-LINK: Climbers Descend Tether to Marine Anchor.  During normal ops, dedicated downlink tether would provide downward bound service for climbers to return to Earth.
4.	OUT-LINK TETHER: Beyond GEO to Apex Anchor. (AA) . Thought Experiment (TE) considers innovative ways to leverage Space Elevator (SE) beyond Geosynchronous Equatorial Orbit (GEO).
5.	LIFEBOATS: Ride the Virtual Tether.  For a reliable, rapid return to Earth's surface, ride the virtual tether, an Earth based, high speed, particle beam to enable "lifeboats" to land at zero velocity.
6.	BASE STATION:  Forget Down-Link's physical tether; instead, exclusively use lifeboats to travel Down-Link Virtual Tether back to Base Station with a reliable particle beam capability.
7.	SEVERED TETHER: Some scenarios end badly.  EXAMPLES: 1) Taut tether might "snap" and recoil. 2) A broken tether might wrap around the Earth.  3) ... perhaps even a "ring of fire" around the globe.
8.	ELEVATIONAL ALTERNATIVES  Besides the Space Elevator (SE), there are several other non-rocket proposals which might lift a vehicle and payload from Earth's surface to Earth's orbit.
9.	BEAM ME UP! Thought Experiment (TE) proposes another non-rocket method to reach GEO.  Replace Up-Link's physical tether with a virtual tether, a beam of ions from Base Station.
10.	HIGH STAGE ONE: Leverage Lofstrom's Launch Loop concept to avoid wind and weather in lower atmosphere and get a head start on trip to GEO.
11.	CONSTRUCTING SPACE ELEVATOR. Using physical tether to construct subsequent tethers might make sense. HOWEVER, virtual tether makes more sense; no rocket risk nor risk of sever.
12.	SPACE TUG: Earth Orbits. TE's Space Tug could move vehicles between tethers; but it would be best used in moving Space Habitats among different terrestrial orbits. Also, see "Ion Thrusters" and "Specific Impulse".
13.	BASE OFF EQUATOR?  Can a tether anchor off the Equator??  Not much.  HOWEVER, a Base Station can locate well away from equator and still project an ion beam toward the GEO Node.
14.	ELEVATIONAL CHALLENGES MAIN CHALLENGE: Quickly move pax/cargo from Earth's Equator to GEO without the absurdly long cable (might extend 1/4 distance to the Moon!!!!).
15.	BEAM ME OUT!!! Expand range of orbital destinations from strictly GEO to well beyond. Even escape Earth's gravity to travel throughout the Solar System.

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VOLUME 0: ELEVATIONAL
VOLUME I: ASTEROIDAL
VOLUME II: INTERPLANETARY
VOLUME III: INTERSTELLAR

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