On this date, 38 years ago, mankind put it’s first footprints on another world (even though the conspiracy theorists think it was all staged).
Yes, it’s only distantly related to a Space Elevator (at least for now), but it’s still worth a note. Someday, many of us will take the first steps of our journey to the Moon on a Space Elevator…
The first half of this 25 minute long YouTube video (originally from RussiaToday) is devoted to nanotechnology and Russia’s move into this field of research. Just after the video’s 10 minute mark, the narrator talks about how carbon nanotubes might be used to build an earth-based Space Elevator. He theorizes that the climbers might be powered via Solar Energy (rather than ground-based lasers) or that the cable itself might be able to conduct power for the climbers.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-TdY2RxgW4[/youtube]