Beginning in 1982 a bold adventure began to safely launch vehicles into low Earth orbit using nothing but the vacuum of space. This simple concept raised global controversy and experts are still arguing over the feasibility. One pioneering firm dared to press on and build what some have called a “modern tower of Babel.” Engineers at Maduko simply call it: The Space Tube.
The top of the Space Tube culminates in space- 129 miles above the surface of the Earth. The top of the Space Tube® is subjected to the total vacuum of space. Vehicles placed in the bottom of the Space Tube® are pulled up through the tube by this suction, and shot into space.
A platform here serves as a docking station and maintenance base. Personnel stationed here also monitor the spacecraft exiting the launch tube.
The length of the 129-mile long tube is a reinforced Unobtanium® shell with an interior diameter of 21 feet. The upper stretches are fully surrounded by the emptiness of outer space.
Closer to Earth the atmosphere and gravity exert incredible forces on the tube. Helium-filled dirigibles carry some of the weight and act as buoys to stabilize the structure.
The base of the Space Tube® is positioned under 65 feet of water in Lake Mead. Placing the opening underwater increases the differential pressure and assists the vehicle in gathering speed during the initial launch sequence.
The base is also where the important master valve is located. This piece of hardware manages the immense forces exerted by the vacuum of space and manages the launching and velocity of space vehicles passing through the tube.
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