An Elevator into Space

When Arthur C Clarke wrote about four towers extending from the base of the earth right up into space it was pure science fiction. However a Japanese company is now hoping to take the first step towards constructing such a building. The construction company Obayashi  wants to build an elevator that will reach out into space for 96,000 km.

What’s more the Japanese construction giant hopes to achieve this feat by 2050. So there is a very good likelihood of the elevator being constructed in our lifetime. Robotic Cars powered by magnetic linear motors will be able to carry both people and cargo up through the elevator into a newly constructed space station.

The journey into space on the elevator will take seven days, so its not going to as fast as moving through Arthur C Clare’s elevator. This feat is now possible due to the development of carbon nano technology which has the tensile strength about hundred times that of steel’s.

The three cm long carbon nano tubes that will be used in the construction will be ready by 2030. Then the actual construction of this science project will begin. The elevator will seek to replace the current shuttle transport system employed to take people and stuff to the international space station.