Obayashi Corp., the developer behind Tokyo's new tallest building, the Tokyo Sky Tree, has just announced plans to build a much taller structure: a 22,370-mile-high—yes, that's mile—elevator to space. Using (appropriately) space-age technologies like carbon nanotubes said to be 20 times stronger than steel, the earth-bound spaceship will stretch nearly a quarter the distance between the earth and the moon, with a counterweight out in space and an intermediate station in the atmosphere with solar panels for power. The ride to the top would take just over one week in a capsule that holds up to 30 people. Of course, all this sounds like impossible science fiction and, frankly, it probably is, but the Japanese say it could be ready for riders in 2050.
· Developers Behind Tokyo Sky Tree to Build 22,370-Mile High Space Elevator by 2050 [Architizer]
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