Space elevator could be ready by 2050, ride takes a week

February 21, 2012 By Trevor Mogg

While Richard Branson tinkers with his Virgin Galactic space craft in the hope of getting the space tourism industry off the ground, a Japanese construction company has said it is looking at the viability of building an elevator into space, something it says that could be possible in the next 40 years.

If an elevator ride of more than 30 seconds leaves you feeling antsy, then a ride in the elevator proposed by a Japanese construction firm is probably not for you.

Obayashi Corp. this week outlined its plans to build an elevator that would take its occupants just over seven days to reach its destination. The reason for the long ride? The terminal station would be located 22,400 miles (36,000 km) above Earth.

The Tokyo-based company said its so-called space elevator could be ready by 2050. Engineers hope to make steady progress with the project “so that it won’t end up as simply a dream,” an Obayashi official told The Daily Yomiuri.

The company said that such a feat has been made possible thanks to the 1991 discovery of carbon nanotubes, which are around 20 times stronger than steel. These would be used to produce the necessary cables for the space elevator.

Obayashi’s plan involves sending a cable 60,000 miles (96,000 km) into space, roughly a quarter of the distance between Earth and the moon. One end of the cable would be fixed to the ground around which a spaceport would be built, while the other would be fitted with a counterweight, an official said.

The elevator, containing up to 30 people and traveling at a speed of 125 mph (200 kph), would be powered using magnetic linear motors. The terminal station, containing laboratories and a living area, would be located 22,400 miles (36,000 km) up.

The idea of a space elevator is not as far fetched as it might initially sound, with the Daily Yomiuri reporting other organizations, such as the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration, taking an interest in such a project.

Officials at Obayashi say the viability of the project rests on the cost of carbon nanotubes and whether the firm can get the cooperation of other companies from around the world.

[Top image: Victor Habbick / Shutterstock] [Diagram: Daily Yomiuri]

Showing 9 comments

NerdGurl86 at 10:35am 22nd February 2012 Well all depends on who you are traveling with I guess. Space gone wild! hehe
diplomat adams at 10:34am 22nd February 2012 Ok 7 days in an elevator? I don't think so.
WoodsT at 10:33am 22nd February 2012 This is insane lol. Just another disaster waiting to happen.
Ronald C Krause Jr at 5:27am 22nd February 2012 Take a look at the cost of getting anything into space; based pon the weight of any object. A space elevator does it for less than one onehundredth of the cost
Nwj Abangan at 12:26am 22nd February 2012 This will be useless.. after 40 years, teleportation will be possible too.. :-) Men and their ideas.
Zak Ott Stone at 7:31am 22nd February 2012 That's the dumbest idea! Elevator to space? Ride takes a week? Space craft all the way!! Zip up zip Back, go home day 1. Have fun in a box for 7 days with people you don't know. What a waste of resources too.
Jason Hopwood at 7:21am 22nd February 2012 Elevator goes up, something hits the middle, elevator comes down, crash, boom!!!
Karl William Davis at 7:09am 22nd February 2012 actually quite a few people are discussing the idea of a space elevator. they're entirely feasible and, until we have much lighter and more powerful power sources with which to send rockets and such into space, there's no other feasible way of sending anything awfully large and heavy into space
Eric Quach at 7:04am 22nd February 2012 oh sure.