| Bradley C. Edwards | |
| Nationality: | American |
| Alma Mater: | University of Wisconsin–Madison |
| Thesis1 Title: | and |
| Thesis2 Title: | )--> |
| Thesis1 Url: | and |
| Thesis2 Url: | )--> |
| Thesis1 Year: | and |
| Thesis2 Year: | )--> |
| Doctoral Advisors: | )--> |
| Spouses: | )--> |
| Partners: | )--> |
Bradley C. Edwards is an American physicist who has been involved in the development of the space elevator concept.[1]
Dr Edwards received his PhD degree in Physics from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1990.[2] His thesis work was in astrophysics on the soft x-ray background. During his graduate work, he worked on x-ray micro calorimeters and several sounding rocket and Shuttle payloads.
After receiving his PhD, Dr Edwards was hired as a staff scientist at Los Alamos National Laboratory where he was co-investigator on the ALEXIS satellite, developed superconducting tunnel junction detectors, a lunar orbiter, a Mars mission, a Europa orbiter and the world's first optical cryocooler.[3] In 1998, Dr Edwards began working on the space elevator concept.[4]
Edwards received funding from the NASA Institute for Advanced Concepts to examine the idea and published two papers in 2000 and 2003.[5] [6] He proposed methods for deploying a space elevator and overcoming perceived obstacles such as orbital debris, anchoring, climber design, and power delivery and examined construction costs and scheduling, laying the groundwork for current discussions.[7] [8]
Edwards also published two books on the subject, The Space Elevator: A Revolutionary Earth-to-Space Transportation in 2003 and Leaving the Planet by Space Elevator in 2006 which gained coverage on major news media.[9] [10] [11] [12]
In interviews, Edwards has estimated that price per pound of launching into low Earth orbit could be reduced to 100th the cost of Shuttle missions.[13]
Edwards spent eleven years working at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, researching advanced space technologies. He attempted a number of ventures associated with the space elevator concept and spent six years as a senior engineer at Sea-Bird Electronics, an oceanographic company. He has recently started a new company to develop carbon nanotube technology. [14]