Is Japan ready to build a space elevator in 2025?

Modern rockets and spacecraft can deliver cargo to Mars in six months. But this is only provided that the distance between the Earth and the Red Planet is minimal and is about 55 million kilometers. But there are hypothetical technologies that can significantly speed up travel between two planets. For example, many science fiction books describe the concept of a space elevator. According to it, a strong cable can be stretched between our planet and another space object to transport goods or even people. According to scientists' calculations, the space elevator could deliver cargo to Mars in four months or even 40 days. In 2012, the Japanese company Obayashi Corporation announced that it would begin building a space elevator as early as 2025. The construction start date is approaching soon, how are things going with the company?

Is Japan ready to build a space elevator in 2025. The space elevator represented by the DALLE-3 neural network. Photo.

Space elevator represented by the DALLE-3 neural network

What is it space elevator

A space elevatoris a hypothetical structure in the form of a cable stretched between the Earth and some space object. It is assumed that if such a cable is pulled, it will be possible to launch capsules with payloads along it without the use of rockets. The idea of ​​creating a space elevator was first proposed by the Soviet and Russian self-taught scientist Konstantin Tsiolkovsky in 1895.

What is a space elevator. The space elevator is also proposed to be used to deliver cargo to orbital stations. Source: The Space Way. Photo.

The space elevator is also proposed to be used to deliver cargo to orbital stations. Source: The Space Way

It is believed that a space elevator will not only speed up the delivery of cargo into space, but also reduce the cost and danger of such missions. Any spacewalk costs a lot of money – for example, each mission within the Artemis program to return people to the Moon is estimated at $4.1 billion. The cost of flights is primarily high because they require a lot of fuel. In addition, rockets sometimes explode.

Read also:Why NASA has postponed the return of people to the Moon until 2026

Construction of an elevator to space

The Japanese company Obayashi Corporation is famous for building the tallest tower in the world, Tokyo Sky Tree. This television tower is located in Tokyo's Sumida district and rises 634 meters. It is the tallest among television towers, and among all high-rise buildings it ranks third – only the Burj Khalifa in Dubai and Merdeka 118 in Malaysia are taller than it.

Construction of an elevator into space. The tallest TV tower in the world - Tokyo Sky Tree. Source: fishki.net. Photo.

The World's Tallest TV Tower — Tokyo Sky Tree. Source: fishki.net

In 2012, the Obayashi Corporation announced that it would reach even more unimaginable heights in the future by building a space elevator. According to company representatives, the construction cost of this structure should be about $100 billion. Construction of the space elevator was planned to begin in 2025, and the launch was scheduled for 2050.

Construction of an elevator into space. It seems that the Japanese company Obayashi Corporation hastened to make loud statements. Source: kp.ru. Photo.

It seems that the Japanese company Obayashi Corporation hastened to make loud statements. Source: kp.ru

On the eve of the scheduled start of construction, journalists from Business Insider decided to conduct a short interview with the head of the company, Eji Ishikawa. He honestly said that construction will not begin in 2025, because today the company is busy with other things. Basically, they are looking for sponsors and partners, because no company alone can bring such a big idea into reality.

Here we talked about ordinary elevators:How dangerous are elevators and what to do if it stops?

Why a space elevator has not yet been created

The creation of a space elevator is hampered by a huge number of factors.

Firstly, the cable between Earth and another spacecraft would be under enormous stress, so it would require a very strong material to create it. Ideally, it would be made of steel, but there is not enough of that material on Earth. There are other potentially suitable materials, but they are also impossible to create in sufficient quantities. According to Yoji Ishikawa, they may need to create an entirely new material.

Secondly, the space elevator could very well be damaged by natural disasters. It is impossible to guarantee that it will not break under the influence of hurricanes or lightning strikes. In addition, it would need to be protected from ill-wishers.

Why the space elevator has not yet been created. The space elevator may be too fragile and will require protection. Source: 24gadget.ru. Photo.

The space elevator may be too fragile and will require protection. Source: 24gadget.ru

Thirdly, creating a space elevator requires huge investments. Considering the need to create a completely new material for the manufacture of the cable, the search for partners from different fields of activity, and so on, the cost of the technology may turn out to be unimaginably high.

According to Yoji Ishikawa, words about the readiness of the space elevator by 2050 are not necessary count as a promise. The start date for space elevator construction depends on how technology develops. You definitely shouldn’t expect a system for sending packages to Mars “by string” in the near future.

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What do you think, by about what year will we see a working space elevator? And in general, do you think this is possible? Share your opinion in our Telegram chat.


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