I continue to have a problem with satellites in lower than synchronous orbits, which would inevitably smash into this elevators cable. Before you even start building the elevator you would have to de-orbit all non-synchronous satellites and try to get rid of all the space junk floating around. There’s so much space junk up there now it seems impossible to get rid of it all.
Of course even if there were no satellites, there are going to be meteorites that will also inevitably smash into it. We will need some sort of laser weapon to vaporize anything the gets close to it. It won’t be an easy thing to do even if the technology existed to do it. I’m not saying it’s impossible, or that I don’t love the idea, but it’s just a very difficult thing to do.
Space/Science » in reply to Space elevators an option?
re: Space elevators an option?