A Review of ERA5 Equatorial Wind Data and Impact on a Space Elevator

Abstract

This paper uses the ERA5 weather dataset to assess the impact of the wind on an equatorial space elevator. An analytical formulation establishes that the effect of wind on tether inclination and payload capacity can be captured by a single scalar: RMS wind velocity, averaged over air pressure. This formulation clarifies what constitutes excessive wind for a particular elevator and provides a direct link between wind data and elevator design parameters. Analysis of equatorial ERA5 data shows that equatorial wind loading varies strongly with geography with lower values over continents and higher values over oceans, with the majority contribution coming from the lowest 20 km of atmosphere. The data indicate that realistic equatorial winds pose a significant constraint on thin-ribbon elevator designs if align to face the wind. Combining wind and lightning statistics highlights several promising equatorial regions for anchor sites. Finally, the implications of wind loading for elevator design are examined, and several mitigation strategies are discussed to improve survivability and operational payload capacity under realistic wind conditions.