If airplanes were once a crazy idea brought to life by the Wright brothers, why couldn’t a space elevator be a future reality? Perhaps a new era will be opened up, just like the achievements of the aviation industry
The first conceptual leap toward a space elevator was made by Russian scientist Konstantin Tsiolkovsky (1857-1935). He was inspired by the Eiffel Tower and envisioned a tower reaching from Earth’s surface into geostationary orbit.
However, it took 65 years for Russian engineer Yuri Artsutanov to develop this idea and present it in the article “To the Universe by Electric Rail”. He said: “A trip into space by rocket will never be like a boat trip or a tram ride, and those on board will have to endure “gravity chains”, “high acceleration” and “engine noise”. Therefore, designing a very high elevator would solve these inconveniences.”
Not only Russia – the homeland of the first cosmonaut, but other technologically advanced countries such as Japan, Germany, the US, and China are also delving deep into this experimental path.
It seems that the desire to conquer space using an elevator has captured the minds of scientists worldwide.
You might dismiss the idea of a space elevator as mere science fiction. But think again. This isn’t just a fantasy; it’s a real-world possibility. So what’s the deal?
In 2014, Obayashi Corporation announced the construction of a space elevator. The elevator would consist of a carbon nanotube. It would have an area of 96,000 km, a floating port with a diameter of 400m, and a counterweight of 12,500 tons, with an estimated cost of 9 billion USD.
Carbon nanotubes have a tensile strength 20 times greater than steel. Theoretical calculations suggest that even a thread made from this material could support the weight of a cabin. American researcher Bradley C. Edwards has designed and improved the cable for this massive project so that it can withstand the gravitational pull of asteroids.
Obayashi Corp envisions a space elevator capable of transporting up to 30 passengers in an electrically powered cabin, cruising at a speed of 200 km/h for eight days straight. This innovative concept also lifts and lowers heavy payloads at a cost less than 1/100th of a traditional rocket launch.
The Raptor space elevator experimental team from Nihon University (Japan), led by Professor Yoshio Aoki of the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Precision Instruments, has participated in four European Space Elevator Challenges organized by the Technical University of Munich (Germany), where they are testing the feasibility of mechanical structures.
As part of its ambitious space exploration program, including future missions to Mars, China is actively exploring the development of a space elevator. Wang Xiaojun, Director of the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT), announced this at the Global Space Exploration Conference 2021 (GLEX) conference, highlighting the potential of space elevators to revolutionize space travel.
The plan, as reported by Global Times, outlines a three-phase approach: robotic exploration and sample collection, human settlement construction, and the utilization of a space elevator, dubbed “Heaven’s Ladder,” for cargo transportation.
The basic components of a space elevator include: a cable, one end of which is attached to the Earth, usually in an ocean region above the equator. The other end is connected to a counterweight in outer space. Additionally, there is a climber that is attached to the cable and will be responsible for transporting people and goods into outer space. The cable is expected to be up to 100,000 km long, which is much higher than the orbit of Earth’s surveillance satellites.
According to statistics, the cost of launching a kilogram of payload into space has been astronomical, averaging around $22,000. This cost is calculated from the first space shuttle Columbia’s flight on April 12, 1981, and over 100 other spacecraft that have since flown into space.
However, the proposed space elevator promises to revolutionize space travel by reducing transportation costs by a factor of 50 to 100. This dramatic decrease in cost makes the space elevator a highly attractive investment, but what exactly is this technology?
The space elevator is poised to revolutionize numerous industries, from telecommunications to space exploration. By dramatically reducing transportation costs, it will enable the construction of permanent bases on celestial bodies like Mars and the Moon. Furthermore, space elevators could serve as launchpads for a fleet of mobile space stations, expanding our reach into the cosmos.
Thanks to advancements in carbon nanotube technology and other related fields, the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) forecasts that the first space elevators capable of transporting humans to an altitude of 1000 kilometers will be operational by 2025.
Through this, the space elevator project is expected to become a reality about a decade. The IAA estimates that these elevators could carry payloads up to 20 tons.
Imagine being able to ride an elevator into space within the next few years! That’s the exciting reality that Walt Disney’s Space 220 restaurant brings to life, offering a futuristic dining experience that simulates space travel.
Space 220 at Epcot offers a truly out-of-this-world dining experience at Epcot. Dubbed the “ultimate culinary exploration” by Disney, guests enter a space elevator and travel 220 miles up to a space station to enjoy their meal. In terms of orbit, this is a bit lower than the two current space stations, the International Space Station and Tiangong Space Station, which orbit at roughly 254 miles and 264 miles respectively. Space 220’s Centauri Space Station altitude matches the average 220mi altitude of the Mir space station which operated from the mid-1980s until 2000.
The put the 220-mile altitude into perspective, current Starlink satellites sit at 340 miles, while the lowest orbit of 103 miles was briefly achieved by a Japanese satellite. The flights of billionaires Richard Branson and Jeff Bezos reached 53 miles and 66 miles. While Space 220 guests certainly would be in space, I wouldn’t consider those guests astronauts.
