. However, producing enough to compose a tether that reaches an altitude of about 22,236 mi or beyond would be a very costly venture.
Second, there's also the matter of the titanic forces the structure will have to deal with, like wind shear, storms, and hurricanes at lower altitudes, and micrometeoroids, and the Sun and Moon's gravitational influence at higher altitudes. Add to that the stress of regularly sending pod cars up and down the tether, and the result could be oscillations that eventually turn violent., which is already a considerable problem.
And of course, there's the issue of cost, which is beyond the capacity of any one nation to build. The only way we could afford to create a space elevator in the foreseeable future is if the wealthiest nations of the world came together and committed to a multi-generational effort to build one and could agree on a common framework for administering and using it.
Like the structure itself, the challenges of building and operating a space elevator are massive! But considering the pay-offs of having one, it's understandable why it continues to attract advocates and adherents. And as the requisite technologies continue to improve, we may find ourselves inching closer and closer to its realization.
And if building one for Earth is not possible, there is the possibility of building them on other celestial bodies where the gravity is lower But that's a story for another day!Stay ahead with the latest science, technology and innovation news, for free: