Elevator to space?

Although I haven't seen any official confirmation, Space.com reports that the FAA has given go-ahead for use of airspace to test a space elevator.

Now, you might be picturing a very tall and perhaps cartoonesque square shaft that is mounted to the ground and extending to the heavens. Close, but not quite.

Actually, the concept is to string a ribbon or tether, anchored to the ground and extended to a point in space that is beyond geosynchronous orbit (more than 22,500 miles above Earth's surface) with a counter-weight at the top, effectively pulling it tight.

The sheer tensile strength required to accomplish such a feat would be astounding, however, once in place, the space elevator would reduce the cost of space travel enormously. For instance, you could then build a car or 'climber' that is completely solar powered, eliminating the need for onboard fuel. Another concept is to create a pulley system that could be powered on the space end of the ribbon, which, as we know, could be nearly or fully friction-free -- and again, powered by the sun.

And yes, just in case you were wondering, this is not a pipe dream, but a completely feasible venture, begun by the LiftPort Group, a private company based in Bremerton, Washington.

I'm so paranoid, I'm convinced the elevator in our 4-story office building will break while I'm aboard. Can you imagine riding with me on the space elevator to orbit?

Read more about the space elevator at WikiPedia:
Space elevator - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia