Exploring Second Life: The Space Elevator at Bowness

I read my first Arthur C. Clarke novel in middle school.  It didn't take long for me to get to The Fountains of Paradise, best known as the first appearance of a space elevator. While I don't remember much about the plot, the idea of a trip to space becoming as simple as a ride to the top of a skyscraper captured my imagination and stuck with me. When I found out Second Life had its own version of a space elevator, I knew I needed to check it out.

The island setting was a far cry from the ancient mountaintop monestary of Clarke's novel, but it still felt right. Everything was quiet and peaceful, with a small house perched on a nearby hill. The entire setting was in stark contrast to the noise and drama we currently associate with a trip into space.

When I entered the elevator, I was surprised by how much it shook as it rose. I've always envisioned space elevators as a smooth, sedate form of transportation and wondered how much of the vibrations were limitations of the software and how much were the result of someone else's vision of a space elevator.

On arriving on the second floor of the elevator, I found a room full of consoles and machinery. I was pleased by the mix of reel-to-reel devices that would have been familiar to Clarke when he first imagined a space elevator and the devices, such as the central pillar, that would not be out of place in modern sci-fi flick.

I tried taking the stairs up to the next level, were I received a note explaining a little a bit about the concept of space elevators. It focused on the potential future of the technology, mentioning carbon nanotubes and explained that this model is based on magnetic propulsion. The note mentioned laser propulsion, which is something I've never heard of and am curious to learn more about. This level also complemented the impressive view with some informational kiosks on environmental and ecological issues not directly related to space elevators.

On level 4, I realized I had been climbing a tower simply to reach the true space elevator. At the top of a tower was a pod that I entered and set to ascend. As it rose, I was able to watch the blue sky fade to black and fill with stars as it left the atmosphere and entered space proper.

At the top, I found myself in an empty space station. From the windows, I could see the distant surface of Earth.

The space station was small, and didn't seem to have much to see, but I did take advantage out of some of the mechanics of Second Life by stepping out of an airlock to see the station from the outside. The view, including what looks like the carbon nanotube tether the elevator follows, was a great finish to the trip.