Space Elevators and Space Tourism

This article touting the possible nearness of space tourism contains the following quote:

“A safer, cheaper launch system is critical if space travel is to become more commonplace in the future. An elevator rising tens of thousands of miles into space is one possibility that scientists and entrepreneurs are considering.”

The article goes on to discuss developments in the Space Elevator field and the role that the Spaceward Foundation is playing in this endeavor.

(With apologies to Fodors for the proposed Guidebook cover – click on it for a larger version.  Picture of Shimizu Hotel on book cover from here.)

One thought on “Space Elevators and Space Tourism

  1. Bob Munck

    I’ve pointed out a couple of times that sub-orbital space tourism using a space elevator is a real possibility. The reason is that as cargo climbers go up, they lose weight rapidly due to the decrease in gravity. After awhile, the ones on the SE have lost so much weight that another can be added at the bottom. HOWEVER, until that happens, the SE has unused capacity; a small combination climber/glider could zip up with a small number of tourists, cast off at a few hundred kilometers up, and provide a nice ride. Probably a per-passenger cost of a few thousand Euros.

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