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Height of space tower to experience true microgravity?

Am I correct in asuming that a tower reaching into space would have to strech all the way out to a geostationary orbit if I wanted to experience microgravity when "standing" atop? Anything lower would simply reduce my weight, but not acheive weightlessness, right?

14 Answers

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  • 4 years ago

    The notion of a tower just wouldn't cut it. We have the ISS in orbit that simulates microgravity, and aircraft going over the top provide short term microgravity.

  • 4 years ago

    Geostationarity condition is based on Earth rotation period of 24 hours. It is chosen for convenience, so that Earthlings can train their antennas permanently & forget it. It has nothing to do with weightlessness or any other. For instance Venus with more or less same as Earth mass has to have a height for orbit stationarity appropriate to 224.7 days (about 1,480,000 km from its centre). Does it mean it has drastically different 'g'?

    First, your idea is very c o c k eyed. You are confused & confusing us here. Get it straight in your Cranium.

  • ?
    Lv 7
    4 years ago

    "weightlessness" is the result of being in free fall. To be in free fall and NOT splat the ground requires a velocity and height appropriate to being in orbit. i.e. if you use a tower (solid) then your orbital period must be 24hours therefore you must be in geostationary orbit.

  • 4 years ago

    Do the following calculation. Find out what is the height of a fixed fireman pole where your weight is ballanced out by the centrifugal force you experience from holding on at the top of the pole.

    You should get a relation of what is the total acceleration (g at that height subtracted from the centrifugal acceleration) depending on the height of the pole. The height h corresponding to g(h) and a_c(h) being opposite signal and equal (therefore g + a_c = 0) is the height you're looking for.

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  • Ray
    Lv 7
    4 years ago

    A space elevator would have to be considerably taller than geostationary orbit in order to create an "up" force relieving some of the weight of the structure below. Even then they have not found a material light and strong enough to accomplish the task. Astronauts experience weightlessness at much lower orbits but are moving at thousands of miles per hour. The training airplane that simulates zero G's does it by flying in a negative G arc at speed and only for a brief time. If you are trying it on the space tower, remember your mag-lev boots.

  • 4 years ago

    That's correct. But it would be awfully heavy on the ground - I doubt any surface would be able to support it. What would be better is to double it's height, and attach a weight out at that distance - then it would create centripetal force *pulling* it up.

  • Anonymous
    4 years ago

    Sure. Idk

  • 4 years ago

    That is correct.

  • jehen
    Lv 7
    4 years ago

    Pretty much. Microgravity is not due to the vaccum of space or even by the distance from the surface of the earth. It is due to orbital momentum that balances the pull of gravity.

  • ?
    Lv 4
    4 years ago

    The tower would move as the Earth rotates, creating centripetal force, which would counter the effect of gravity. Yes you could float like a geostationary satellite. Higher than that orbit, you would be flung to the ceiling, which would be weird as it would feel like the floor.

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