Let's look at this from an economics point of view.
It costs, according to NASA, about $500 million to send the Shuttle up once. In other words, the costs to tax payers would start to be recouped after about 34 "launchs" via the space elevator. I'd say that was pretty decent economics for a U.S. Governement project. Assuming that the cost for launchs became "reasonable", I would imagine that we would be making significantly more than 34 launchs a year.
Of course, I am over simplifying the economics a bit and ignoring if carbon nanotubes can even be produced in the right lengths, but you get the idea.
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Geez...flamebait already? It was a joke. I lost my job over 2 years ago and it it helps to have a sense of humor about it...
...everyone is losing their jobs in nice, whole numbers. Keeps the statistics nice and pretty that way.
Let's look at this from an economics point of view.
It costs, according to NASA, about $500 million to send the Shuttle up once. In other words, the costs to tax payers would start to be recouped after about 34 "launchs" via the space elevator. I'd say that was pretty decent economics for a U.S. Governement project. Assuming that the cost for launchs became "reasonable", I would imagine that we would be making significantly more than 34 launchs a year.
Of course, I am over simplifying the economics a bit and ignoring if carbon nanotubes can even be produced in the right lengths, but you get the idea.