Canadian space firm has been granted US patent for a 12 miles high inflatable space elevator.
Space elevator that first proposed by Russian scientists in 1895, could one day send astronauts and goods into low Earth orbit.
Canadian space firm Thoth Technology has received a US patent for a space elevator. The freestanding space tower is pneumatically pressurized and actively-guided over its base. Reaching 20 km above the planet, it would stand more than 20 times the height of current tall structures and be used for wind-energy generation, communications and tourism.
The Canadian company promise that the elevator will reduce launch costs by 30 percent in terms of fuel and may even replace some classes of satellites.
Dr. Brendan Quine, the inventor, said:
“Astronauts would ascend to 20 km by electrical elevator. From the top of the tower, space planes will launch in a single stage to orbit, returning to the top of the tower for refueling and reflight.”
Thoth President and CEO, Caroline Roberts, believes the space tower, coupled with self-landing rocket technologies being developed by others, will herald a new era of space transportation.
“Landing on a barge at sea level is a great demonstration, but landing at 12 miles above sea level will make space flight more like taking a passenger jet.”
source Thoth Technology