HBL News: A Space Elevator by 2050?

Friday 24 February 2012

Image via Inhabitat


"Japanese infrastructure company The Obayashi Corporation has announced its intention to send tourists to space by building a space elevator by 2050," Inhabitat reports.

The plan is to take tourists to a new space station situated 22,000 miles above the planet's surface. Each trip would include 30 passengers and take 8 days, with the elevator travelling at 125 miles an hour. Zero gravity would take effect approximately 5 days into the journey.

Image via Inhabitat
Inhabitat speculates that by 2050, technologies such as genetically-modified spider-silk may have developed to the level required to build the elevator.

For more futuristic and fantastical design, subscribers can read our recent report, Hover: designs that defy gravity.