[flashbunny]

I don't see how anybody is goingto be able build a space elevator, since there would be so much hand wringing about what happened if it came crashing back to earth. You'd probably have to have it on an island in the middle of nowhere or a really desperate african country.

[NormsRevenge]

How about building it in Chappaqua?

Or would it meet stiff resistance from Bubba? like he's ever home anyway. ;-)

[who_would_fardels_bear]

Well it makes more sense than a space escalator.

Imagine how much real estate you would need to create one with a reasonable grade?

[SubMareener]

Not a problem, the beauty of the space elevator is if it breaks at any point below its center of mass, which is at geosynchronous orbit, it just flies off into space. Also, you only have to do work to get to geosynchronous altitude, after that you need brakes to slow you down as you move up the elevator. With conducting carbon nanotube cables, and dynamic electrical braking, the cars going beyond geosynchronous altitude could provide power for the cars coming up from the earth. It really is a neat idea.

[thoughtomator]

You could turn a poor African country into a rich African country in a short time, if it had the world's only space elevator and got to tax it.