Let me ask a couple of simple questions

Let me ask a couple of simple questions.

Can it be built using today's technology?

If it can't, what technology is lacking?

>Can it be built using today's technology?

No.

>If it can't, what technology is lacking?

Literally magic materials.

any of the carbon meme materials could do it. the problem is fabrication. because even one atom not in the right place causes significant lost of strength. enough atoms wrong close enough together will cause failure.

i'm talking less than a gram of carbon atoms over the entire structure.

I've just finished reading Arthur C. Clarke's Space Odyssey science fiction series. In the series, especially the lesser-known latter two books, Clarke spends extended time with this idea. But although it's sci-fi, he does annotate his books with substantive (literal in-text citations in some cases) references to published science-fact material, which he takes as his starting point to give his fictional version.

Specifically, in the notes to 3001 (which spends the most time with the space-elevator idea, as massive permanent towers have been erected off the earth's surface), Clarke mentions the well-known allotrope of carbon, C_60, but then goes on to mention that Dr. Smalley et al produced a tubular form, which Clarke and Smalley suggest is a possible material for space elevator, as this poster presumably intimates.

The text of 2061 literally contains, right at the end, the citation of this little article: "Satellite elongation something something, true skyhook". I can't be fucked to reproduce it now (I have it) but it's a little published note suggesting the idea that OP is asking about and which was popularized in the above somewhat.

This is basically all formalized speculation, some of which has been dignified with publication.

Interesting. I only read The Sentinel and I really enjoyed it. Granted, it was only 6 pages long.

Do you recomend the Space Odyssey series?

Yes, I strongly recommend it as a fictional read. Something came over me the past few months where I just had to acquire and read these books (I've always liked the original film), and the latter entries aren't earth-shattering, but good entertainment with good science-fact sprinkled in, as I've suggested.

There's a good pleasure in reading along and taking notes about the factual cultural references, which of course are not limited to science.

>Can it be built using today's technology?
No.
>If it can't, what technology is lacking?
We aren't even remotely close to the materials required and it might be quite possible that we will never get there.

>Can it be built using today's technology?

Yes but no on Earth

>meme materials
>magic materials

>Can it be built using today's technology?
of course not
>If it can't, what technology is lacking?
as you go higher the tether need to be stronger, thus has to be wider. it would be the widest at roughly 35000km where gravity and centrifugal effect are cancelling each other. when you make the calculations to determine the width of the tether at this altitude with every known material you end up with absurdly huge numbers.
Add the fact that everybody seems to forget that the actual elevator has to be powered to go up and is supposed to support the same payloads as our current rockets to be competitive. The first solution that come to our mind is solar power but it happens to be too weak to power up the device.
I'm sorry I don't really have any real number to prove me right though