History of JEDCline's efforts on KESTS

Author's published technical recent papers on the subject:

Cline, James E. D. (2000). “Kinetically Strengthened Transportation Structures.” Space 2000 Conference Proceedings, ASCE, 2000, 396-402.

Cline, James E. D. (2002). “Kinetically Supported Bridge Vehicle Lift To GEO.” Space 2002 Robotics 2002 Conference Proceedings, ASCE, 2002, 8-21.

Cline, James E. D. (2004). “Energy Flow in Kinetically Strengthened Transportation Structure Systems to Space.” Earth & Space 2004 Engineering, Construction, and Operations in Challenging Environments" Conference Proceedings, ASCE, 2004, 859-866. ISBN 0-7844-0722-3

Author's related formal published technical paper re a technique for unmanned launch and basic ring-assembly of a 200-person artificially gravitied toroid research habitat below the radiation belts, using prefab habitat segments designed to be their own fuel tanks during launch by teleoperated flyback engine tug boosters (this was called "Centristation" in my earlier GEnie files):

Cline, J. E. D., Wet-Launch Of Prefab Habitat Modules, Space Manufacturing 10, Proceedings of the 12th SSI-Princeton Conference, 1995, 88-91

Overview

Bridgebuilder of necessity in Topanga Canyon, 1971 pic
One of many who "re-invented" the earth tether concept, 1970, but realized no material srong enough, gave up on earth space elevator tether concept pending new materials development by others in distant future
Settled for creating the concept of a constant crossection fiberglass lunar tether through L1, 1971-72, (The Mooncable: A Profitable Space Transportation System ...[ref Mooncable: Gravitational-Electric Siphon In Space]), eventually submitted informal proposal to NASA in 1972, but NASA had no money for it (resulted in wife leaving me).
Learned of concepts of Hyde, Loftstrom, Smith and others, early-mid 1980's
Testified before the National Commission on Space, November 1985 in support of Hyde's, Loftstrom's and other unusual advanced kinds of transportation concepts concepts, but final report ignored them
"Centristation" concept for building a 200-1,000 person R&D toroid space habitat in upper LEO
Finally got on a public computer net, with the help of NSS: GEnie Spaceport Library, 1988
Seeking to solve problems with Hyde's and Lofstrom's and Smiths's concepts, synthesized initial general kinetic energy supported transportation concept, 19880924, POWER + TRANSPORTATION.
JEDC's GEnie Spaceport Library files put online 1988-
- Testimony to NCS
- Centristation (a mile-diameter wheel-like space habitat robotically assembled in upper LEO by docking prefabricated segments into a ring configuration, modules designed for dual function of their own fuel tank during launch by combo of flybgack engine cluster winged module plus airbreathing strap-on flyback booster ; this conceptual design eventually became became published by SSI as "Wet Launch of Prefab Habitat Modules", in 1995) g1071, g1537, g1718, g2391
- Mooncable (Fiberglass Lunar Tether through L1, integrated wiith motor-generator tractors and solar powered zero-g manufacturing at L1, before foamed-steel cast liftuing glider entry vehicle delivery to earth surface, informal proposal submittted to NASA in 1972.) g480, g485, g1179, g1171
- Kinetic Energy Supported Transportaton Structures, large number of files uploaded to GEnie library, (conceptual design eventually published in ASCE's Space 2000 and Space 2002 Robotics 2002.) and is main theme of this website.g553, g563, g578, g581, g592 , g634, g644, g690, g747, g1974, g2167, g2425, g2466, g4969, g5711
- Realizing tha a major source of interference with these needed projects was that they were perceived by aerospace industry as if they were rival technologies, so proposed ways to accomodate them. g6975.