Scientist Sees Space Elevator in 15 Years

bofh31337 writes "Scientist Bradley C. Edwards, head of the space elevator project at the Institute for Scientific Research, thinks an elevator that climbs 62,000 miles into space could be operating in 15 years. He pegs the cost at $10 billion, a pittance compared with other space endeavors. 'It's not new physics--nothing new has to be discovered, nothing new has to be invented from scratch,' he says. 'If there are delays in budget or delays in whatever, it could stretch, but 15 years is a realistic estimate for when we could have one up.' NASA already has given more than $500,000 to study the idea, and Congress has earmarked $2.5 million more."

Comments

A space elevator will not happen in 15 years...

[exp(pi*sqrt(163))]

...and nor could it. We are nowhere near having the kinds of materials required and no plausible extrapolation of technological development over the last century points to such a thing being possible. This is even more implausible than Kurzweil's prediction of a singularity happening in the next few decades. Why is it that people who should know better are often the people who understand the least? And why do other people take any notice of them?

Where would it go?

[Hackie_Chan]

From: Some building on Earth.
To: Uhm, space?

I mean, seriously. Where would it end at? Otherwise it'll just be a 10 billion dollar murder machine launching people in to space so they die.