Travel to the Moon: Lunar Space Elevator Being Built, Schedules to Launch 2025
Feeling blue? Then just take a trip to the moon! Don't worry, you won't need to board a Russian or Chinese spaceship in order to reach Earth's largest satellite, you can take an elevator! The best part about an elevator is that you can travel up to the moon and back down to Earth at a moment's notice. It's just to bad that Sandra Bullock's character in Gravity didn't have that luxury. She wound up floating around aimlessly in deep space for a good chunk of time.
It should be noted that the elevator will be for commercial purposes, specifically mining, only. Your travel agent won't be able to book you and your significant other a trip for two to the lunar mare.
So when is this miles long elevator launching? Not soon as in next year, but it won't take a century either. According to Michael Laine, president of the LiftPort Group, the company championing the project, the idea isn't a pipe dream.
"We're making steady progress," Laine said to Space.com.
Part of the moon elevator's progress may be linked to the fact that the moon has been in the public eye a lot more lately.
"I think the moon has gotten a lot of new attention in the last year," Laine remarked.
Just exactly how will this contraption be built? Aircraft and Spaceship researcher STAR, Inc. is helping see this process through. STAR, Inc. President Jerome Pearson stresses the fact that super strong materials and planning every last detail will be necessary to ensure the project's success.
"The lunar space elevator can be built of existing high-strength composites without waiting for suitable carbon nanotubes, and its dynamics can be tested on the moon, where it will not endanger satellites in low Earth orbit or geosynchronous Earth orbit," Pearson said.
This elevator could be operational by 2025 if everything goes right.
"At our current rate of progress, EDDE could get rid of the dangerous low Earth orbit space debris by the middle of the next decade, and the lunar space elevator could be built at about the same time, as part of a return to the moon," Pearson added.
Would you take an elevator ride to the room? Or are you too concerned about getting stuck or being subjected to all the bad music being pumped through the speakers? Let us know in the comments section below.
Subscribe to Latin Post!
Sign up for our free newsletter for the Latest coverage!