Today’s Space Elevator
The Space Elevator has developed significantly over the last ten years and 2019 was a "break-out" year. The leap from thinking about future concepts to the realization that an aggressive proposal of early developmental activities must be initiated during the Fall of 2019, highlights a phase change in space elevators with several elements:
from Space Elevator to Galactic Harbour
from wishing for a material for the tether to having one successfully tested
from an immature plan to a preliminary positive assessment of each technology within each system segment
from silent discussions in small groups to advocacy across the world.
Four main themes have arisen:
Space Elevators are closer than you think!
The Galactic Harbour is a part of this global and interplanetary transportation infrastructure
Space elevator development has gone beyond a preliminary technology readiness assessment and is ready to enter initial engineering validation testing, leading to establishment of needed capabilities.
The magnitude of the Space Elevator Architecture demands that it be understood and supported by many.
This report is organized as a "show me" document to demonstrate 16 years of advancements beyond Brad Edwards' modern space elevator concept. The chapters cover the "why" of space elevators, an explanation of Space Elevator and Galactic Harbours as currently conceived, the architectural approach and systems engineering status, a discussion of each segment of the system, an elucidation of the four themes mentioned above and the establishment of a foundation for the future. A number of large Appendices is provided to assist developers and readers.