7
Surface → Ring (100 km)First Payload: Self-Reinforcement Begins
The first payload climbs the full three-stage tether system: ground to balloon station (Stage 1), balloon to ring platform (Stage 2), received at the ring (Stage 3). The payload is more Zylon cable. Every kilogram of cable added to the rotor increases the ring's load-bearing capacity, enabling heavier future payloads. The self-reinforcing loop has begun.
Specifications
First payload mass10-100 kg
Trip time (10 kg at 3.3 kW)~50 minutes
Trip time (100 kg at 3.3 kW)~8 hours
Energy per 100 kg trip~26 kWh
Electricity cost per 100 kg~$1.40
Month 1 target100 kg/day × 30 days = 3 tonnes
Ring mass increase in month 1+15% (20T → 23T)
Open Questions
- ?What's the climber mechanism? Motor-driven rollers gripping the tether?
- ?How is new cable integrated into the spinning rotor? Spliced in-orbit?
- ?What's the payload attachment/detachment procedure at the ring platform?