The Elevator To Outer Space

In science fiction there is the huge elevator from the Earth that reaches all the way out into space. All you have to do is ride it and in a few hours you leave behind gravity and emerge in the twilight of inter planetary space.

The radical idea was first proposed by Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, a Russian astronautical pioneer. He wanted to use the space elevator in place of rockets to get into space. The concept was similar to the cable car being pulled up by electricity.

While the concept itself is very simple, its the implementation that offers numerous challenges. The first of course is the types of materials that need to be used to construct this elevator. The material needs to be tough enough to survive the huge amount of tension that will be experinced.

For a while researchers were of the opinion that carbon nano tubes may be the right material. However the inability to create defect free carbon nano tubes persistently has led to the material being discarded. Till the logistics of this incredible science project can be worked out, the construction will not see the light of day. However when the elevator does become a reality it will truly be a world famous attraction.