The Space Elevator vs. Fusion Power

February 16th, 2008

In a recent episode of The Space Show, the show’s host, Dr. David Livingston, interviewed Bruce Pittman.  The topic of the show was Fusion Power - what is the status, when might it be available, problems in creating it, etc.  Now frankly, I know very little about the ins and outs of fusion power, how feasible it is, etc., so I’m in no position to judge Mr. Pittman’s veracity or expertise on this subject.  What did interest me, however (and why I’m mentioning this interview on the Space Elevator Blog), was when a listener asked Mr. Pittman about what he thought what was “more realistic”; fusion power for rocket propulsion or a Space Elevator.  Not surprisingly, Mr. Pittman said “fusion power”.  He freely admits he doesn’t know much about the Space Elevator, but says that, based on his trips to the last “two X-Prize Cups” to watch the Space Elevator Games (?!), there seems to be some “real challenges” to building a Space Elevator, specifically wind issues (and tether strength) and the problem with space debris.

I don’t have the background to make this comparison on my own so I won’t try.  But perhaps you have your own opinion

The discussion about fusion vs. Space Elevator is near the end of the interview, beginning at the 52:28 mark.

Entry Filed under: Interviews / Presentations