Reply To: What is the current state of the project?

[Aeronaut]

The quick trip is to the “off-shore” activities that will pop up around 60 miles. That’s where I expect the first tourist stops to be, followed by commercial access fees to use any or all of the tether as a launch system. The less reaction mass that you have to leave the ground and or orbit with, the smaller, lighter, and cheaper your launch vehicle gets. This also pays dividends in smaller thrusters and shorter burns, which also contribute to lower reaction mass requirements.

The tether is easy to “understand”, which makes it easier to sell than a pendulum or a balloon (why hasn’t somebody done this before?). The tether concept also eliminates the need for heat shielding and a retro-burn to re-enter the atmosphere. While this all will probably seem quaint to an “enlightened” reader in less than 50 years, its about the best we can do right now and is still light years ahead of what most people think is possible.