I don't believe in benefits from this, and like I said before all of this is fairy tale gibberish.

How can we possibly "save" millions of dollars? Firstly, the cost of this thing would be horrendous, and I don't believe it's free to travel up however-many-miles it takes to get to space. The whole project in itself is unsafe and would be undesireable by a majority. In addition imagine the elements this object would go through. Obviously we are aware that as we climb the elements change (weather, wind, and up 30 miles God-knows-what...) The stress just from nature's elements would be of significance.

I'm all against the stupid space studies we do anymore. Why in the heck are we sending some spacecraft to roam around Pluto??? Why not use that money to stregthen our economy? Why not halt the project and buy each American a couple loaves of bread instead? NASA is unbelievable...I wish I could blow off hundreds of millions of dollars just because I was curious about something...

Why don't we examine our own planet before venturing off onto others? I think Earth has a level of importance incomparable to anything else other than our sun...

I'm not saying that NASA knows how to conserve money (they practically wipe their butts with a roll of $100 bills), nor am I saying that this whole lift concept is a good idea; I'm just saying that it's possible, and it probably would save money in the long run.

True, a lift that would climb all the way to space would cost money, but not near as much as it costs in fuel for a craft as large as a space shuttle to overcome Earth's gravitational pull. Although the tether and station would no doubt be very costly to build and keep running, over time the saved money would outweigh the original cost of construction. Thus is the reason people upgrade (in most cases) - to save money over time.

Now, as I said, if a lift stopped halfway up, another lift could be sent up after it, and a repairman in a suit and tethered to a lift could repair it within a few minutes (unless something major happens, like a motor burnout, in my opinion, would be unlikely) - far before the oxygen in the lift would run out, causing everyone inside to suffocate (furthermore, it would probably be equipped with some kind of air scrubber/recycler).

As for weather being a problem, I'm pretty sure that a tether that can hold the weight of a lift and spacecraft can withstand hurricane-strength winds, especially since it would be tethered by something as gigantic as a space station. Besides, in order for it to remain in geosynchronous orbit and not just wrap the tether around the planet, it would have to be tethered on an island somewhere along the Equator, and in that latitude (depending, of course, on which island is used), hurricanes usually aren't too much of a problem (at least *I've* never heard of any hurricanes go as far south as to the Equator).

I'm pretty sure that the idea is quite sound. It is, after all, being worked over by minds far greater than any of ours (at least in some aspects), so I'd expect that, for the most part, they know what they are doing/talking about.

I believe the space elevator thing is going to be using nanotehnology or something like that. The cable would not be moving around. It would have to be anchored in place. You can not have a cable just willy-nilly floating around the globe. I will eventually hit something. Ideally there would be more than one space elevator. It will not be a quick jaunt up to space like the space shuttle. We are talking about something that will take days to do. Ideally as you are being transported you will be gradually being exposed to weightlessness. A space elevador is not like a normal elevator at all. Its design and implimentation will take much planning and thought. Ideally when it comes to opperating a space elevator there will have to be a mechanic on the elevator at all times to fix any problems that may come up. There will also have to be alternative ways to get into the space elevator or to get out of the space elevator if problems do arise. I think of a space elevator as kind of like a small lounge or shuttle of some sort. Its all very facinating.

My point is what is the point of this. So what if there is an elevator to space? I have no reason to go there and I never want to go there. It is a hostile land of no heat except from radiation and there is no gravity or life. Besides that, getting up the elevator would take days. Aircraft could crash into the elevator killing all the poor souls in it. This just seems like territory I wouldn't want to venture in even though its a cool idea in theory.

well obviously the cable would have some kind of signal letting airplanes jets etc.. know that it was there, they would have the lights etc..

lol and obviously there are loads of things that they would need to work out..

Well, it would be very cool. But there are some thing that would have to be worked on. How would they get the cable up into outer space? That would be kinda hard. And how fast would this thing go? And how would it propell its self? And if there were lights on it the elevatot would have to be able to go up without hitting them. Very complicated. I don't even want to think about it. But it would be very cool if they ever got it up and working.

That rings a bell... Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator. If it ever came to life, it would be extremely non-economical. It's not worth it. And who would like to ride an elevator to space? There are so many things to consider. The elevator has to withstand the forces of gravity and the atmosphere. It has to be able to lift itself up fast, etc... etc... but apparently, those are just minor concerns. How about safety and passenger comfort? If it's not going to be used for people, but rather, for goods, then why waste so much money to make an unstable thing?

you lazy people we dont need an elevator the kids in southpark already built a ladder to heaven.
the exercise will be good for you.