In several ISEC Newsletters in mid-2021 (see above under History Corner), I wrote about the various space elevator games and competitions going on in several different countries. After a bit of a lull, these have now been revitalized in the World Space Elevator Competitions (WSPEC) recently launched at the International Space Development Conference in June 2025, and featuring the climber and power beam engineering challenges from earlier times. Fox35 in Orlando had a news item about this first-ever global space elevator challenge.
Hey guys,New to this forum. Just was researching some interesting things regarding space elevators: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_elevatorIt seems like the cost of launching to space is a lot and having a space elevator would reduce the cost of putting something into space for ~$20,000/lb to ~$200 a lb. Wouldn't having this kind of cost advantage to launches be worth developing an elevator-style launch system ?
Quote from: markbulmer on 01/05/2017 10:49 pmHey guys,New to this forum. Just was researching some interesting things regarding space elevators: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_elevatorIt seems like the cost of launching to space is a lot and having a space elevator would reduce the cost of putting something into space for ~$20,000/lb to ~$200 a lb. Wouldn't having this kind of cost advantage to launches be worth developing an elevator-style launch system ?"Will bridges across the oceans make airplanes obsolete??"It's pretty clear that there's a scale effect here. For short distances you want bridges / elevators (stationary systems where cost scales with distance), and for long distances you want boats / planes / rockets (mobile systems where cost scales with operating hours).Use that same super-material and make ultralight rocket tanks, then calculate the minimum required market size where a space elevator makes sense. Then you'll understand why space elevator proposals — Phobos or lunar or otherwise — don't really go anywhere (no pun intended).
Quote from: Twark_Main on 10/19/2025 04:20 pmQuote from: markbulmer on 01/05/2017 10:49 pmHey guys,New to this forum. Just was researching some interesting things regarding space elevators: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_elevatorIt seems like the cost of launching to space is a lot and having a space elevator would reduce the cost of putting something into space for ~$20,000/lb to ~$200 a lb. Wouldn't having this kind of cost advantage to launches be worth developing an elevator-style launch system ?"Will bridges across the oceans make airplanes obsolete??"It's pretty clear that there's a scale effect here. For short distances you want bridges / elevators (stationary systems where cost scales with distance), and for long distances you want boats / planes / rockets (mobile systems where cost scales with operating hours).Use that same super-material and make ultralight rocket tanks, then calculate the minimum required market size where a space elevator makes sense. Then you'll understand why space elevator proposals — Phobos or lunar or otherwise — don't really go anywhere (no pun intended).Wow, 8 years later for a reply. Lol.I'll add, no credible research for those numbers and no credible engineering to constuct such a thing.
