Now, space elevators are another topic. We don't have the materials right now but fun stuff like if one collapsed, it would wrap around the world a couple of times (IIRC).
the circumference of earth is 24k miles. a space elevator woiuld need to be up probably 22k-26k miles. i guess it depends if this wrap would follow a circumference line or a smaller one. nice problem to think about. thx.
well not if youre in its path when it falls heh
as someone mentioned larry niven has written about them, both in essays and in his fiction. anything by him is good reading.
I actually calculated how to build a space elevator for fun but it boils down to the following.
Nanofibers aren’t strong enough to bridge the 32000km to geostationary orbit.
The weight of the fiber itself will snap it. Yes taking account the gravity but ignoring weather.
To do it you would need to go from thick(up in space, low grav) to thin(earth) to pull it off.
The smallest configuration with 1mm^2 coming down from space will take approx two full Falcon heavies (largest rocket) with spools of fiber into geostationary orbit. Glueing the fibers in space is hard. Generating the fibers in space might be better.
You need a counterweight to stop it all coming down to earth
You need anchor it on the equator.
Then you need to do above process a dozen to a few hundred times before you can send any payload or human into space.
Going to geostationary orbit at 100km/hr would take 320hrs so the trip would take 2 weeks going straight up
