Space elevators studied thus far have been mainly the climber type, in which a cable connects the ground to a space station and the payload is transported by climbers ascending and descending along the cable. However, this type of system has problems, such as the difficulty of supplying energy to climbers and a short lifespan owing to the abrasion of the cable and climber wheels during operation. To avoid these problems, in this study, we investigate a novel counterweight-type space elevator. This system consists of two cables: a guide cable that withstands the tension applied to the structure and a moving cable that connects two gondolas, one at either end of the cable, attaches to a driving wheel in the space station, and transports the payload in the gondolas by driving the wheel. In this study, we analyzed the cable dynamics by using the point mass cable model developed by our group when the counterweight type is applied between the station and the ground, and we calculated the energy necessary for actual operation. As a result, when the counterweight type is applied between the Mars gravity center (altitude 3900 km) and the ground, while the climber type is applied at altitudes above that, the system uses less energy than conventional climber-type space elevators.

迄今为止，研究的空间电梯主要是登山者类型的，其中电缆将地面连接到空间站，并且有效载荷由登山者沿着电缆上升和下降来运输。然而，这种类型的系统具有问题，例如由于在操作期间电缆和登山轮的磨损，难以向登山者供应能量并且寿命短。为了避免这些问题，在这项研究中，我们研究了一种新型的配重式太空电梯。该系统由两根电缆组成：一根可承受施加在结构上的拉力的导向电缆，另一根连接两个吊船的移动电缆，两个吊船在电缆的两端连接到空间站的驱动轮，并在太空站中运输有效载荷。通过驱动车轮的吊船。在这项研究中，当站点和地面之间采用配重类型时，我们使用我们小组开发的点质量电缆模型来分析电缆动力学，并计算出实际运行所需的能量。结果，当在火星重心（海拔3900公里）和地面之间应用配重类型时，而在高于该高度的高度上应用攀爬者类型，则该系统比常规的攀爬器型太空电梯消耗更少的能量。