Alex Goldmark reports on the new NASA-inspired space elevator design that is primed for testing and could make it possible for billionaires to step foot on the moon sooner than later.
LiftPort President Michael Lain has his hands full with a very awe-inspiring task: designing the first-ever space elevator. Goldmark writes that NASA held a Space Elevator Games competition back in 2009, which has continued to inspire new groups, including LiftPort.
The purpose of this space elevator, claims Goldmark, is to expand current modes of space travel at a much reduced cost. In an interview, Lain describes the elevator as "a ladder that you can climb into space with using robots instead of rockets."
Lain is preparing to begin testing soon, and whether his experiments succeed could mean another major step forward for mankind into the great unknown.
FULL STORY: Interview: Space Elevators Inch Closer to Reality
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Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research