How to get to Space - cheap...

Still, the question remains; what material will the tether need to be made of in order to have the necessary tensile strength for a project of this magnitude? The emerging capabilities of nano-technology hint at a possibility in the form of carbon nanotubes. Structurally, these nanotubes are composed of graphite; a carbon atom bonded to three other carbon atoms, these then form very strong hexagonal sheets, and in turn these sheets are rolled into a small seamless cylinder with a diameter of a nanometre – one billionth of a metre. Carbon nanotubes have been produced which have a tensile strength of over 50 times that of high-carbon steel.

There are other problems to be considered in the construction and maintenance of a space elevator. At the level of the earth for example; how to deal with the effects on the tether of poor weather within the earth’s atmosphere, lightning, fierce storms and so on. Or the risk of disaster due to the severing of the cable due to accident or deliberate sabotage. As the cable crosses out of the realm of the earth’s influence other problems arise; such as leaving the earth’s protective magnetic field and the subsequent effects of solar radiation on unprotected passengers travelling in a relatively slow elevator – or the corrosive effect that the same radiation will have on the elevator cable. Perhaps the greatest concern will be that of orbital debris and collisions. A small particle of dust, or worse, metal, travelling in the opposite direction as the space elevator’s cable could have a relative closing velocity of more than 20km / second – or 72,000 km/ hour. An impact with a large object would most likely result in a complete loss of the space elevator. However, to clear the way for the elevator cable, in theory, some sort of garbage collection is possible as since the dawn of the space age US Government agencies have been tracking pieces of orbital debris, some no larger than a paint chip.

If it is to be done, the accomplishment of a space elevator will only be achieved by the dedication and commitment of scientific researchers who will expand our knowledge of the natural universe and technological innovators who will develop new materials, production techniques, control and automation systems. At one point within the 20th century, it was widely believed by extremely learned and reputable people that travel by ‘heavier-than-air’ machines was impossible. Maybe that's an important fact to keep in mind...