Elevators to Space

Believe it or not, Google is just one of a number of organizations and individuals interested in setting up the infrastructure to leave Earth's atmosphere without the use of rocket propulsion. Space elevators are reportedly another project on the Google X agenda (see previous slide). The idea is to run a ribbon from Earth to a counterweight in orbit that allows easy access to space for all kinds of scientific experimentation and other ventures. Many people believe that we could have such lifts operational in less than a decade.