![]() ![]() The space elevator is an electric vehicle called a “climber” that drives up and down one thin tether between the ground and a satellite in stationary orbit, using another outside tether for balancing with centrifugal force. Will the time come when everybody gets to experience weightlessness for long hours and with no training? In Japan, researchers are working on a “space elevator” to make this happen in a way that minimizes cost and environmental impact, unlike traditional rockets that consume massive amounts of fuel. Blue Origin, an aerospace manufacturer and spaceflight-services company started by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, is already selling tickets for space trips.Īn expensive ticket will buy the view from space, but even then, the experience of zero gravity lasts only a few minutes. ![]() But with the advent of commercial space tourism by Virgin Galactic, many more people-and nonastronauts-will be able to experience Earth from above. Since the Apollo moon missions of the ’60s, only a few more than 500 astronauts have reached the hallowed height of 100 kilometers (62 miles) into space. The highest honors from the 2018 European Space Elevator Challenge went to two college students from Japan for their climber’s design.Space elevators could be an alternative to rockets that consume massive amounts of fuel and allow for more people to experience space at a lower cost.A space elevator is an electric vehicle that drives up and down a tether between the ground and a satellite in orbit.
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