The concept of space “elevator” is one of the oldest dreams of science fiction writers, but it seems that the possibility of the actual construction has been considered for years as it would greatly facilitate the activity in space. In the case of LiftPort Group (Seattle), the concept of a lunar space elevator is considered for transporting goods to and from the Moon.

According to a report at space.com, such a program should be built using the existing technology and based on simple principles. The basic idea is a “vehicle” which would move up and down on a wire connected to the surface of the Moon, making landings soft and smooth.

In particular, the vision of LiftPort Group includes the missile launch from Earth in a special space station (PicoGravity Laboratory) located in a Lagrangian point, from which the transfer of the load will start. The program is called LSEI (Lunar Space Elevator Infrastructure) and, according to the LiftPort Group, the transportation of people to the moon will be possible from the first years of the operation of such a facility.

According to the president of LiftPort Group, Michael Lane, the program is in progress, as the Moon attracted intense interest within the past year. As the LiftPort Group website refers, the main objective of the project is to make the Moon financially accessible for exploration, colonization, and mining natural resources.

It seems improbable that such a grandiose structure will be built in just a few years, doesn’t it? The whole concept feels utterly sci-fi and futuristic to me. I don’t know about you, but I am excited to see if the US company will manage to turn this project into reality. All we have to do now is to wait and see. After all, 2020 is not so far, is it?


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This Post Has 5 Comments

  1. ano

    What happens if a single small asteroid breaks the nice wire? Just once teensy asteroid?

    The problem is that this could have been build long ago. It’s just not feasible without what they call in startrek “structural integrity field”.

  2. pablo

    ¿….la TIERRA y la LUNA, atadas con un piolincito….?

  3. pablo

    ….LA TRADUCCIÓN DE EL COMENTARIO, MUY BREVE QUE EFECTUÉ, NO TIENE NADA QUE VER CON LO QUE QUISE DECIR; ES ESPANTOSA. POR FAVOR REVISEN CONTENIDOS DEL SISTEMA QUE EMPLEAN.

  4. Karl Johanson

    230,000 kilometres of cable… if you could make a 1,000 km of cable per year, it would only take 230 years to make enough…

  5. Don Bodenbach

    What a great video about this lunar space elevator infrastructure. Thanks a lot for sharing this to us.

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