NationStates Jolt Archive


Announcement: Jacob's Ladder orbital elevator completed ahead of schedule

Axis Nova
30-08-2007, 16:43
A video clip, from some sort of news channel plays. Currently, the camera is showing water, moving at high speed-- it becomes apparent the video is being taken from the aircraft. Panning upwards, it shows land in the distance-- the video is being taken over the sea.

However, in addition to the land, a grey line can be seen stretching upwards... and up, and up and up, the camera panning, but the top can't be seen as the impossibly large structure vanishes into the blue sky. A voice-over begins as the camera pans up and down the large structure, whatever aircraft it's mounted on getting closer to the land in the distance.


"This is ANNN, with a special report, live from Numonica. What you see here is the orbital elevator that has been under construction here for the past seventeen years, as part of the much-discussed Icarus Project. As the largest man-made structure on Earth, it represents an incredible accomplishment and shows off the capabilities of our technology. When this project was first proposed many years ago, a large number, even in the government, called it utterly insane and completely impossible.

However, as I fly towards Numonica Spaceport and the base of the elevator, the truth is undeniable: it was possible, thanks to the trillions of credits thrown into the project by the government and the lives of 1863 brave workers who lost their lives during the project..."

Official Annoucement, Axis Novan Office of Foreign Affairs

As many of you may or may not be seeing on your news channels right now, an orbital elevator that has been under construction for quite some time, named Jacob's Ladder, is now complete in Numonica. While a significant proportion of it's capacity will be used for Icarus Project-related activities, we are, at this time, accepting applications for limited commercial use of the elevator. After the Project is completed in five years time, further applications will be allowed.

No military equipment will be allowed on or near the ladder for security reasons.
DMG
31-08-2007, 01:21
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b360/DMG2005/DMG-large.gif
Official Communiqué

To: Axis Novan Office of Foreign Affairs
From: Count Vincent Alexander X,
Secretary of State - DMG
Subject: Application

It has been brought to my attention that your government has recently completed a space elevator and that you are accepting applications for limited use. While I'm not sure exactly what your definition of limited use is, I thought it would be best to send along our application and see the results.

In a corporate-foreign government exchange facilitated by my office, we are soon to acquire a space habitat from the nation of Tanaara (essentially an O'Neill cylinder). While we have space shuttles that service our government space stations, and while we are currently in progress of developing our own nano-space elevator, we don't currently have the means to easily transport a large number of people up to our new station. You see it is to become our first civilian space colony and will house a number large enough that an elevator would be much more cost and ease efficient.

So, that is our request and proposal. You may name your price, restrictions, and what have you, if you choose to accept.

Sincerely,
Count Vincent Alexander X,
Secretary of State
The Dominion of DMG

[OOC: I am going to have a little thread about this with Tanaara and whoever else has something to contribute (most likely nobody).]