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CNN Live Saturday

Interview With Brad Edwards

Aired July 13, 2002 - 17:17   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: A scientist in Seattle is embarking on an ambitious project, to say the very least, that could bring a whole new meaning to the phrase "elevator to the top." Brad Edwards wants to build an elevator to space. And he joins us from Seattle, Washington.

All right, Brad, you've got some explaining to do. Make me a believer. You've got 62,000 miles worth of something paper-thin supporting 20 tons? I don't get it.

BRAD EDWARDS, HIGH LIFT SYSTEMS: Yes, that's basically what we're talking about.

WHITFIELD: All right. So better explain to me how exactly this will work.

EDWARDS: Well, the concept itself is about 40 years old. In the simplest -- simplest sort of explanation, you have a cable. One end is attached to an anchor point, a platform on earth. The other end is up in space, behind geosynchronous orbit, about 62,000 miles up. Once you have the cable in place, you can climb it to space.

WHITFIELD: And what is it going to be carrying to space?

EDWARDS: Well...

WHITFIELD: How will it be used?

EDWARDS: It would be used to deploy telecommunications satellites, any satellite that you're deploying right now. In the future, it would be able to deploy very large solar power satellites for generating clean, limitless power for sending back to earth.

WHITFIELD: And how in the world would this cable then, if that's what it is, this paper-thin cable, able to withstand any sort of objects that may run into it, such as aircraft, or any flying objects of any sort?

EDWARDS: Well, there's a lot of design and engineering going into the entire project. The aircraft -- well, we're going to have a location, an anchor location, in the equatorial Pacific, it's several hundred miles from any air routes or sea lanes, so it would have to be a restricted air space. For satellites and things like that, we'd actually be moving the cable itself to avoid those collisions. WHITFIELD: So it's so thin you can't see it with the naked eye then?

EDWARDS: You would be able to see it from face-on, but from the side it would be a little difficult.

WHITFIELD: All right. Now, you did convince NASA that this is a project worth investing. You managed to get some NASA funds, about a half million dollars, is that correct?

EDWARDS: Yes, a total of about $570,000 for about two and a half years worth of study.

WHITFIELD: And is that going to be enough to help get this plan on board?

EDWARDS: Well, that's sort of the initial funding to demonstrate the feasibility, which we've pretty much done to this point. We've investigated all the engineering difficulties, the difficulties in building the cable, the ribbon. The next step is to do the detailed engineering to finish up the development of the carbon anode tube deposits which we'll need for it. We're holding a conference, basically, to bring together all of those people.

WHITFIELD: So it possibly being functional would be about 15 years away, right?

EDWARDS: In an optimistic best case scenario, it would be 15 years. In sort of current situations, the way things are done, it probably will be about twice that, unless we can really get a good program going.

WHITFIELD: All right. Brad Edwards, well, good luck to you.

EDWARDS: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: ... and perhaps CNN will be among the first to get a chance to show folks what it all is when it's up and running. All right. Thanks a lot for joining us from Seattle.

EDWARDS: Thank you.

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