Space Elevator

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

Today on NPR's Talk of the Nation: Science Friday had Brad Edwards, former director of research, Institute for Scientific Research on to talk about Space Elevators. He gave the impression that they were 15 years away from start construction of such a project, far sooner than previously believed. However they still have some significant hurdles to over come. Such as, how to deal with the electricity generated by the Ribbon as it passes through the atmosphere. Something this big will produce staggering amounts of potential energy, and could pose a danger similar to the Space Tether Experiment on the Shuttle in '96 . But given the possible advantages it is an exciting time. I looking forward to hearing more about it.

The Audio of this interview should be posted later today on the Talk of the Nation site.

Related Articles:
NPR: The Path to an Elevator into Space
Wikipedia: Space Elevator