A station would be deployed in geostationary orbit above the
anchor platform. The nano carbontube ribbon would be produced at the station
and slowly spooled out and lowered until it can be anchored at the anchor platform.
The ribbon is thereafter kept taunt by the rotation of the Earth and a
counterweight extended from the geostationary platform. The ribbon would be
three feet wide and thinner than a sheet of paper.
How Would a Space Elevator Work?
Cars carrying people and material will climb and descend the
carbon nanotube ribbon powered by electricity. They can go upwards to a hundred
and twenty miles an hour, but without the sudden accelerations, vibrations, and
G forces experienced on a rocket ship. Thus, fragile and large payloads can be
carried. Once arriving at the geo
stationary station, payloads can be released either into Earth orbit or into
Earth escape trajectories to the Moon or to other destinations in the solar
system.
The capacity of a space elevator can be augmented by adding
carbon nanotube ribbons or by building new space elevators. In theory, there is
no limit to the lift capacity that can be achieved with space elevators.