Japan may build space elevator by 2050

William Atkins
Thursday, 23 February 2012 23:25

Science - Space

The Obayashi Corporation in Japan says it can use carbon nanotube technology to build a space elevator into space - extending from Earth's surface to more than 96,000 kilometers (59,520 miles) in altitude. And they hope to do it by 2050. My fingers are crossed in anticipation!

On Wednesday, February 22, 2012, the company announced that the structure could be built with existing technology by the year 2050, although many manufacturing processes and advanced techniques are still to be worked out.

Nanotube technology consists of material that is over twenty times stronger than steel. Nanotubes are based on carbon or other elements.

These nanotube systems consist of graphitic layers seamlessly wrapped into cylinders, only a few nanometers in diameter (with one nanometer being one-billionth of a meter in length).

Company officials at Obayashi gave details of a trip in the Space Elevator, saying up to thirty passengers could be taken at one time for the ride straight up into space.

Passengers would travel at a speed of about 200 kilometers (124 miles) per hour, which means the trip would take over seven days to complete.

The trip would be in two stages: stage one would be from Earth to a terminal station about 36,000 kilometers (22,000 miles) into space, which is at geostationary orbit.

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