Solar Beanstalk

Space elevators. This crazy idea actually works on paper. Imagine a simple cable connecting the earth to space. Once this tether is draped though the atmosphere the trip could be made with "cars" that would crawl up and down it's length. GPS satellites, Mars rovers, astronauts - all of it simply rides up the elevator.

But the first obstacle is material science. This elevator must be built to support it's own weight - hundreds of thousands of tons between the surface of the earth and geostationary orbit. Carbon nanotubes are the answer. This substance is comprised of a lattice of carbon atoms in tubelike structures. Nanotubes have many exceptional properties - among them is a material strength that greatly exceeds the most advanced composites. And researchers have recently devised methods for producing this material in large quantities.

The second obstacle is, of course, money. Until now, estimates have been in the hundreds of billions for such a massive project. But now - based on the rapid advances in nanotechnolgy and a new sensible plan, the price tag is down to a mere 20 billion. If this seems pricey, consider that NASA already receives about 15 billion a year, and a massive portion of that budget goes towards simply lobbing things into space. The rickety contraption known as the space shuttle costs half a billion each pop.

I constantly read editorials about how the manned space program is a huge waste of money. Many concerned scientists would prefer the resources were spent uncovering the origin of the cosmos or engaged in the hunt for Earth-like planets around nearby stars. Now a federal program to construct a space elevator is becoming very plausible - and it will be a gateway to the solar system for exploration of all kinds. Why not make those huge, expensive, and mostly disposable rockets a thing of the past?

VIA INSTAPUNDIT