Infrastructure · Orbital & Surface Infrastructure · Theoretical
Space Elevator
A cable anchored to the ground and reaching beyond geostationary orbit, up which vehicles would climb to space without rockets. It remains theoretical: no known material has the strength-to-weight needed to build the tether on Earth.
Orbital & Surface InfrastructureTheoretical
Highlights
- ›Theoretical — no material yet strong enough
Knowledge connections
- Member of groupOrbital & Surface Infrastructure
Sources
The primary and reference sources this topic draws on.
- NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration
Mission data, planetary science, space telescopes, and public-domain imagery.
Most NASA-produced imagery is in the public domain; individual items are checked for usage terms before publication.