Obayashi Corporation said it is ready to begin building the space elevator. According to the developers, the first people will be able to travel on it to Mars as early as 2050. Well, are we packing our bags, or are we just watching from the sidelines?
It is estimated that it could cost $100 billion to build an elevator tower from Earth to Mars.
The very idea of creating such a vehicle is not new. You will be surprised, but it came to the mind of Konstantin Tsiolkovsky at the end of the 19th century! However, it has not been possible to implement it to this day. The process is too complicated, and not every company will decide to do it. However, there were still brave souls – Obayashi Corporation. He claims to have all the necessary skills and experience to bring his plans to life.
What Will the Space Elevator Be Like?
The company announced its intention to enter the race to create an elevator back in 2012. And now 12 years later, after completing the construction of the tallest tower in the world, Tokyo Skytree, it is ready to take on this project. Now scientists are actively conducting research. Engineers are developing a concept, and marketers are working on establishing partnerships and promotion.
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The plans are to build a huge pipe, inside which a long, heavy-duty 20-ton cable will be installed. The latter is capable of withstanding extreme loads and sudden temperature changes. Carbon nanotubes, consisting of a rolled-up layer of graphite, were previously considered as materials for its manufacture. Their advantages are lightness and strength; when stretched, they do not crack or tear. But there’s a catch: these tubes are quite small, which limits their use in a space elevator. Therefore, according to scientists, to implement the project they will need to develop a completely new material.
In addition, the company’s employees will have to build a floating port with a diameter of 400 meters. It can serve as the arrival and departure point of the elevator. The structure will be located in the sea near the equator, and access to it will be provided only through an underwater tunnel. Its main task is to hold the space elevator cable and regulate its tension.
The elevator will run on solar energy – it is environmentally friendly, free, and practically inexhaustible.
Why Do We Need a Space Elevator?
Since it is planned to use solar energy to operate the elevator, its creation will help significantly reduce fuel costs and flight time. Engineers at the Japanese corporation Obayashi also have the goal of getting people to Mars in mind, and they are confident that doing this with the help of an elevator will be much faster: instead of flying on a rocket to the Red Planet for six to eight months, astronauts will be able to simply sit in the elevator and get there in three to four months, or even 40 days.
However, it is still too early for all of us to pack our things and prepare for interplanetary travel: the company will not begin construction in the next couple of years.
“The current level of technology is not yet sufficient to implement the concept, but our plan is realistic and is a stepping stone to creating a space elevator.”
Obayashi Representatives
So let’s sit down comfortably on the sofa, grab some popcorn, and see who will get to Mars faster: Elon Musk or the Japanese.
