Quick Summary of Modern-Day Space Elevators' Progress Through the Eyes of Chief Architect

By Peter Swan, Ph.D

When one reads the book written by both my wife and myself [both with 40 years working in the space arena] in 2007, it is obvious that we had a long way to go to achieve an operational Space Elevator architecture at that time.? As we had worked in the arena of space architecture with real systems, we were excited about applying our experience and knowledge in reaching for the future.? As explained on page 17 [“Space Elevator Systems Architecture,” – free pdf download from the National Space Society’s website - https://nss.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Space-Elevator-Systems-Architecture.pdf] there are several steps to ensure progress towards operations.?

As such, the below Responsibilities are assessed as to their progress within the space elevator community.? The status is my perspective as the Chief Architect of both the International Space Elevator Consortium and the Space Elevator Development Corporation.? This summary is derived from the fifteen 18-24 month ISEC Studies [on website www.isec.org], the two International Academy of Astronuatics study reports, and one major study accomplished by the Obayashi Corporation.? [see body of knowledge of Space Elevators at www.isec.org ]

Responsibilities with Quick Summary of Status as of January 2025

1. Identification of customers, clients and stakeholders:?? After 18 years of discussing the customer base within the space arena, the answer has focused upon those needing massive logistics support at GEO and beyond. Several of those are SpaceX million tonnes to Mars surface requirement (currently with rockets at 1% of pad mass to orbit of Mars), Space Solar Power satellite constellation to GEO with satellites (> 2,000 tonnes each) and Moon settlement estimated at 500,000 tonnes to surface (once again at less than 1% of pad mass).
2. Definition of Needs to be fulfilled:? When talking with these customers and stakeholder, the focus is on a permanent space access transportation infrastructure. It stands out as a remarkable future for space system owners, investors, and operators.? Characteristics such as daily, safe, inexpensive, routine and environmentally neutral stand out as requirements rather than niceties while each fulfills several needs.
3. Establish a systems vision:? The vision has been consistent for about 20 years with small adjustments:? “Space Elevators are the Green Road to Space while they enable humanity's most important missions by moving massive tonnage to GEO and beyond. They accomplish this safely, routinely, inexpensively, daily, and they are environmentally neutral.”
4. Identification of engineering potential:????? Recently, the identification of the material for the 100,000 km tether has progressed while the options have multiplied.? The “2-D” materials are coming out of laboratories with the strong enough and long enough characteristics – recent growth to 1 km of early development of Graphene Super Laminate has been identified as a great early step.? The other aspects of permanent infrastructures seem to be achievable with materials available today and designs based upon other infrastructures in existence.
5. Recognition of Show Stoppers:???? The initial show stopper is that people have not been shown the remarkable progress and the revolutionary potential of Modern-Day Space Elevators to “jump-start” a mega-project with such challenges.? After 20 years of working the design and architectural aspects of the system it leads to an understanding of all the show stoppers.? They have all be addressed within multiple studies and seem as if they will be overcome within an aggressive program.? A) tether material seems to be well along towards production, B) the dynamics of 100,000 km tethers anchored on the ground by a tether terminus and at the Apex Anchor with an outward force inherent in the architecture are well understood and simulations are being refined, C) the lower portion tether has challenges with the atmosphere [we have been launching within it for 60 years] and LEO debris concerns have been shown to be manageable [see the two studies inside ISEC website laying out these approaches – such as 6 base legs to reinforce continuous operations], and D) funding seems to be well within reach as people recognize the importance of a Green Road to Space and the need to have massive lift capability to support aggressive programs such as Space Solar Power and settlements on the Moon and Mars.
6. Refinement of initial solutions:?????? Over the last 20 years, the architecture of space elevators has matured from the initial concepts of Tsiolkovsky, Artusanov, and Pearson through Edwards’ remarkable leap and then four more ending up with the current 8th architecture [see David Raitt’s article entitled “Space Elevator Architectures” Quest: The History of Spaceflight Quarterly, v27, n2, 2020, p4-8.].? The current version is called the Modern-Day Space Elevator as it has the essential element of a material that will be ready and multiple studies laying out the potential architecture and how it would be achieved.? Many of the studies have laid out architectures and roadmaps toward the initial operations and fulfillment of the dreams of many.? One is even entitled the “Road to the Space Elevator Era.”?[International Academy of Astronautics second study – 2019]
7. Merge Reality and Dreams:?????????? Currently, the dream is out there with a beautiful vision and tremendous insight into the path ahead.? The next step is to transition from a study-oriented activity into the second phase of a development program which includes sub-segment and segment level testing.? This could have an experiment such as a mile high tether [initial version of the operational tether] with multiple tether climbers exercising their designs and compatibility with the tether.
8. Development of Architecture:??????? Yes, this is the final step to actually fund and then build a permanent transportation infrastructure from the Earth towards the Moon and Mars with stops at GEO.? The Modern-Day Space Elevator architecture supports this mega-step into a program with goals to save the planet and enable movement off planet.? These large visions can make all the difference for the future of humanity.

If there are any questions along the way, please reference the body of knowledge of the Modern-day Space Elevator at www.isec.org.? The initiation of a program with this remarkable architecture is very close, once funding of the concepts recognizes the remarkable revolutionary aspects of teaming Space Elevators, the Green Road to Space, with advanced rockets in a Dual Space Access strategy.