/sci/ - Science & Math

>>15441493
Well As you see I have a long name and it's a system. "Space Elevator" has the most brand recognition so I use that phrase, however there will be no base station on the crust of the Earth. That is the real issue engineering wise with the idea. Once you take that out it's much easier.

So we would launch crew and cargo with special space planes able to reach 70,000-100,000 feet above sea level. The planes would take off and land at normal airstrips with a tiny fraction of the cost a rocket needs.

This allows us to escape the large majority of friction causing atmosphere. We are also now able to use normal technology, NOT CARBON NANO TUBES, to build an orbital tether. The tether will meet the crew/cargo at the 100K level, a hand off happens and the tether pulls all goods and people into space. Please note a few types of sky hook exist so we have options.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skyhook_(structure)

The sky hook draws power from space via solar. So as opposed to a rocket that needs a massive amount of energy FROM EARTH to escape the gravity well we are tapping infinite energy in space to to that instead. The only fuel input we need from the planet is the fuel to lift the space plane. This alone is a game changer.