>> So what you are saying is that whole "Space elevator" is a pipe dream

The space elevator idea isn't for getting a payload into space. It's for getting a payload into geosynchronous orbit. Go up high enough in a straight ascent and the rotation of the Earth provides enough horizontal velocity to place the payload into orbit. The elevator is held "up" by centrifugal force and requires a cable with a counterweight that goes way past geosynchronous orbit to keep the entire thing stable. One of these operating on the moon is far more reasonable than one using Earth as a starting point.

Realize the earth is turning.....
At some point the rate of the earth turning and the speed required to stay in earth match.
(For something orbiting exactly over the equator) this is called geosynchronous orbit.

Its very high ~26,000 miles.

So if you put a very large mass (think asteroid) above geosynchronous orbit and then run a cable down to the earths surface so that the center of mass of the whole assembly is at 26,000 miles. On first blush it seems like it would be stable. This is the space elevator.
It would not work for getting things to low earth orbit only to geo synchronous orbit.

The cable is also so long and under such extreme stresses there is presently no material strong enough to be that cable on earth. Since the gravity on the moon is lower, a moon elevator is withing the capabilities of the current best of the high tech tether materials.
A moon elevator would only work to get things to/from moon synchronous orbit to the moons surface. Some evidence that a carbon nano-tube system might be strong enough.

If your talking about mega/giga scale engineering projects to get things to orbit, my personal favorite is a lofstrom loop.

My favorite explanation for orbit - you are going so fast that when you fall toward the earth, you miss.

(i.e. the curvature of the earth falls away from you just as fast as you can fall toward it)

This airplane has 6 engines - 4 seats - and 0 toilets

It looks like it will break up in flight from any out of sync pitching moments of the two fuselages that would put a huge twisting moment on the center of the wing. Seems like it wouldn't even take an elevator failure or misrig to cause this, but merely turbulence.

given the weight they plan to hang from that center section, i would guess that they put some extensive thought into that scenario

It hit 40 knots:

https://jalopnik.com/tag/planelopnik

Youtuber Isaac Arthur has some fantastic programs on, among lots of other things, proposed cheaper ways to get off Earth. The series on that topic starts here:

[youtube]https://youtu.be/JgxkilF5XUM[/youtube]

The End?

https://www.geekwire.com/2019/stratolaunch-layoffs/

Just the opposite. Sounds like they are suspending everything BUT the plane, and focusing on getting it operational ASAP.

From what I’m told they’re going to get the first flight done and then shut everything down. At least that was what I understood from the family of one of the employees that got a lay-off notice.

Personal speculation, there has been several efforts already towards low cost launch platforms. With Scaled Composites being owned by NG and their efforts to focus on space, I’m wondering if a deal has been worked out already to acquire the program.

If it flies just once, it is worth considerably more.

Regardless, I imagine that NG or Sierra Nevada will buy it cheap. I cannot imagine that the govt would allow a foreign buyer outside the Five Eyes.