off topic: space elevators

A few years ago I had a radio show where I interviewed local people. One man I remember vividly was a specialist in space elevators, and it struck me that this was an incredibly good idea. I am pleased to see that space tethers are back in the news.

A space tether is a long cable attached to a geostationary satellite. Or, to save the trouble of climbing said cable, a slowly rotating cable with its center half way between the ground and said satellite. Such an idea was impossible until the latest generation of strong, lightweight materials. the cable (or more likely webbing, to avoid the danger if one part breaks) would need to be tens of thousands of miles long, although only the bottom hundred miles or so would have any noticeable weight.

Rockets are incredibly expensive, vastly inefficient, and rather dangerous. An elevator is an infinitely more sensible idea. No more blast off, no more re-entry, just travel at a sensible pace, at a sensible price, and arrive in style.