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. A POTENTIAL APPLICATION OF GENERAL SYSTEMS THEORY.. KESTS: A UNIQUE TRANSPORTATION TECHNOLOGY CONCEPT & IMPLICATIONS.. by J. E. D. "Dave" Cline.As presented to the L. A. Chapter of ISSS on November 9, 1994.941111 JEDCline.Urgency to provide people with hope that vast new resourcefulliving space will be available in their lifetimes, so as to stop the burning of the rainforests etc. A dual approach is presented, to bedone at same time, one economically and quickly puts a real spacecolony in low earth orbit to verify its basic tenets; the other is todevelop the technology of kinetically-supported extremely longstructures, which has the potential to reach from earth surface even beyond LEO to GEO, where its massive payload capability can be used to build and supply a vast group of large space colonies... Described here is an exercise application of General Systems. Theory which might prove out to be a large and significant. project. Several aspects are discussed: the need to review the. fundamental concept of "transportation"; the theory and. application of "kinetic energy supported transportation. structures", including an integrated earth-surface-to-Clarke Belt. truely massive transportation capacity bridge system; an example. of a creative process for building a mental model; an overview of . high efficiency lunar-surface-to-earth orbit transportation. concepts; and a relatively quick and economical way to build a. mile-diameter space colony research habitat in low earth orbit. using modified Spacelab & Space Shuttle technologies...GENERAL SYSTEMS THEORY APPLICATION: AT THE BEGINNING OF SYSTEM DESIGN.Instead of applying general systems concepts to understand andreconfigure existing systems for more efficient and appropriatefunction, the systems concepts could be applied to explore The potentials of various configurations of a proposed technology. Thisopportunity could condense the trial-&-error stages of itsdevelopment, adding a special wisdom to the progress of creation of atechnological system that has the potential of enabling a much greater well-being of both human civilization and the Earth's ecosystem..Aspects include the interaction of a given potential technology withthe technology with human physiological/emotional/cognitive/imaginative systems, social systems, economic systems, industrialsystems, technological scenario systems, religious & political
 
systems, resource management systems, agricultural systems, health &well-being systems, environmental balance systems... evenindividual/group belief systems. The subject application for generalsystems theories offers the opportunity to explore all of theseaspects of a transportation technology that potentially could blossominto a vast near-space colonization system in the near future...TRANSPORTATION IN GENERAL: OVER LAND, SEA, AIR AND SPACE.Transportation systems define the circulation of goods, materials and people within a civilization. Increasing and maintainingtransportation systems thus provide the opportunity for expansion andreliability of circulation within near-future civilization..Transportation systems historically have advanced somewhathaphazardly, with a new technology being proposed, then developed,then manifested as an effect of corporate power struggles and profitmaking's dance with the potential user's needs. Perhaps it would bevaluable to research the entire concept of transportation, andenvision effects of other forms of transportation systems..Some such concepts might include those using such technologies asskateboards, pantographic walk amplifiers, interconnecting swingingcables from pylons, high speed metal/fiberglass bands distributing power to slide-grabbers alongside roadpaths, and kinetic energysupported transportation structures..Each of these would provide new opportunities to civilization, fromhigh efficiency city commute systems to earth/space transportationsystems. All of these concepts have roots in the past, yet were passed by at the time due to lack of supporting technology or lack of motivation by corporate manifestation structures. The need for vastlymore efficient human commute systems is evident in the face of limitedfossil fuels and increasing use of automobiles in developingcountries. The needs of an expanding population for long distanceefficient transportation systems would alleviate much of the need toconvert farm land into residential land, thus preserving the foodsupply..The ground commute transportation systems concepts are overdue indevelopment, and could, for example, interface the LA Metrorail systemto individual user's homes and places of employment, and probablywould then go on to also function in the long-range high-speed pathways between cities and countries. The intense rivalry amongexisting industrial technological corporations for large but finitemunicipal funds, in somewhat desperate economical times, suggests thatthis field be bypassed for now to avoid the risk of being consideredunwelcome competition by powerful corporate rivalrous economic
 
interests, short-sighted as they are..However, considering the needs of the entire planet, this paper willfocus on the possible use of General Systems Theory on a differenthighly speculative technology with tremendous potential for benefit tohuman civilization and the planet's ecosystem...A TRANSPORTATION TECHNOLOGY POTENTIALLY BRIDGING EARTH AND NEAR SPACE.This contemplated technology would have many inherently integratedfunctions, making it especially useful as a testing ground for generalsystems concepts. And the implications for new opportunities for mankind encompass nearly every aspect of human endeavor, which arethen more potential applications of the wisdom of general systemstheories. The technology's physical development so far is nearlyzero, and its potential difficulties are unusual, although there areabundant related analogous physical examples in existence; this offersthe situation of optimum timing for imaginative, intellectualintegration...THE KEY TRANSPORTATION TECHNOLOGY CONCEPT.The key concept is that of creating a transportation technology whichintegrates the associated energy distribution with the structuralform with specific sites of implementation. Stored energy within astructure (stored as kinetic energy, not as stress) has the potentialfor increasing the strength of a bridge structure as well as for distributing the energy used to power the vehicles traveling upon thestructure. The kinetic energy of the mass of a continuous stream of objects moving at slightly above orbital velocities within extremelylong evacuated loop pairs would be used to support the tubing withinwhich the mass stream travels, and thus support the vehiclestraveling upon that tubing. The kinetic energy of the mass streamwould also be tapped by those payload vehicles throughout the range of the bridge structure..The distances such a stored-energy-supported bridge could span arefar greater than bridge structures limited by strength of conventional materials. Imagination can conceive of them not onlyconnecting across wide rivers, but also across oceans, even to heights beyond Earth's atmosphere even out to the altitude of synchronousrotation with the equator's angular velocity...SYSTEM OF MASSIVE PAYLOAD MOVEMENT BETWEEN EARTH AND THE CLARKE BELT:.The latter destination site is of special significance, because there
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