Space Elevator

Better this than building more weapons . Imagine if we focused just half the energy that we currently do in war , into this , or other tech expanding endeavors , what we could achieve .... besides , I totally want to go to space . This is one of the most interesting posts ever - loved it .

still have yet to stain my cranium.

XD i love when someone calls me ignorant and it backfires.

When can I go...?!?!?!?

That's just far off and stupid!

projects like this could save our economy. when we spend money on space tech, the money goes into american business, jobs are created. the depression ended with the work projects, dams and bridges were built, roads layed everywhere. the space race stimulated the economy of the 60's. there are a lot of new industries that can come from this giant extension cord to space.

Total BS. First of all the place in the ocean with not to much lightning, probably will have lightning, cause of global warming, by the time they get the place built. Second, space debris moving at 17000 mph or so, I'm guessing nanotubes aren't gonna hold...No wonder we are a broke country...

Now...where can I apply for a job, in this industry?

This concept has been around for several years and it is actually very simple, as we have all of the technology available, and nothing has to be invented.
It just takes money and the willingness to move forward.

Yeah, reminded me of pre recorded words strung together. Messages you get on some menu lists or answering machines, or computerized robot -like messages.

Um...Is that a robot narrating this video?

Never ever press the basement button!!!!

I understand the emotions behind the statements that we need to be focusing our attention on our own planet before turning to space technologies -- but I question their logic.

First, we have few enough American children who want to pursue careers in math or science. I don't think we should be reducing that number even further by telling the ones who are interested/fascinated in space exploration that they can't study space until we more fully understand the Earth. It would also be immoral and unconstitutional to limit an individual's freedom that way.

Second, the space program has ALWAYS proved to be beneficial in producing technologies that are useful here on earth. Why deprive ourselves of ANYTHING they might develop in the course of putting up an elevator.

Third, the survival of the species may, at some point, depend on having an off-planet colony of some kind. The number of countries on Earth that now possess means to release biological weapons of mass destruction has grown at an alarming rate. We frankly are not being given any choice as to whether to anticipate the possibility that some modified pathogen could be released for which there is no cure and no hope of containment.

It will be a long time before a space colony will be capable of sustaining itself indefinitely -- but the inhabitants of one might be able to hold on long enough for the pathogen to burn itself out, whereupon the colonists could return to Earth and start over.

Let's make it happen!

I'll ride shot gun!

I completely disagree w/ the desire to relocate the inhabitants of Earth to space, utterly. Just had to say that. Space elevator instead of shuttle, that's fine by me.

The vision of this is as poignant as mans first step on the moon. This is how to economically bring raw materials and exotic zero-g manufactured goods down, and the interplanetary entrepreneurs and homesteaders of the future up. UP! Go hairless monkeys! We have the potential to be the "gifted and talented" graduates from this rock, if we don't fail the pass-fail test we seem intent on running down here.

why in the holy hell is everyone so hung up on space when we havent even begun to understand the tiny ecosystem that sustains us as a species yet?

yes the post i put up a few miniutes ago may have been angry, but please, a space elevator?

and yes, i did notice that my post didnt last more than a few miniutes. space cannot save us, or our children, or their children for that matter, there will be clone armies, mass drivers, and other sci-fi mumbo jumbo long before the earth is peaceful enough to accomplish something like this.

we are animals, red in tooth and claw, and barely beyond the tribal/clan structure. as lofty and noble as these kinds of ideas (space elevators) are, they will not happen as long as we are fighting each other over territory. what kind of reception would the proposal for a moneyless world get at the g8 summit?

i dont mean to be a killjoy , but we have a long way to go as a species, before we ever begin to think about living on the moon, let alone other planets.

I would really love to see this happen in my life time. This could be the stepping stone we would need to go deeper into space and get humanity into space fulltime for good.

I would really love to see this happen in my life time. This could be the stepping stone we would need to go deeper into space and get humanity into space fulltime for good.

So...how many times do you think you would have to listen to the instrumental verson of "The Girl from Ipanema" during the full round trip?

I can picture many possabilities for this. Space greenhouses for agriculture, giant solar arrays that give us more than enough energy to run the planet without fossil fuels. It would also make for a great space vacation too.

don't be penny wise!

space shuttle $200,000.00/Kg of cargo

space elevator $200.00/Kg of cargo

We can't even keep our own world alive yet we are seriously putting so much money and time into this...

I think it is great, just not now. There are much more important issues that these intelligent scientists could be working on in my opinion.

That is just my opinion though and I appreciate and respect different points of view as well.

Houston we have a problem!

Isn't it really out not up?

It should be suspended from a wind ribbon energy collector and be self powered.