ok /sci/, so i've been thinking, i have been wondering

>>8301600
Its not possible with current materials

>>8301600
>Is it at all possible.
Yeah.
>Why hasn't it been done?
We don't have material tough enough yet.
>Are CNTs suitable building material.
Not on their own.
>Is amount of building material a problem?
It is with every construction project.
>Is the atmosphere a problem?
Yes, space elevators would be significantly easier on planets with little to no atmosphere.

Space elevators are perfectly plausible, just very difficult. I would be shocked if humanity started construction on one within our lifetime.

>>8301999
This isnt even close to being a space elevator

>>8302003
So more like a really, really tall tower?
Probably significantly less likely to be viable than a space elevator. Such a structure would probably collapse under it's own weight, or be tipped over by wind. Not to mention the significant differences in pressure between various floors at various altitudes. Probably won't happen until we have space magic.

>>8301600
>ok /sci/, so i've been thinking,
No. Stop that. Immediatly.

>>8302021
I tend to agree, something that tall without a counter balance would topple

>>8302021
having, say a runway just outside of the athmosphere that you can lift crafts to, would be pretty useful, wouldn't it?
if you're able to use struts or something you can save quite a bit of volume. still the colapsing under its own weight sounds like a problem

>>8302003
if by space elevator you mean an elevator to the moon or something then no, but if you build that high it only makes sense to include an elevator.
.. a hanger sized elevator even

>>8301999
>>is it at all possible
>yeah.
can you expand on that? what kind of materials would you use? what kinds of challenges arise on that kind of scale?

>I would be shocked if humanity started construction on one within our lifetime.
true. however, if the possibilities exist and the money exists as well (and i bet it does) then it could be done already.

>>8302047
counter balance to what?

>>8302031
>No. Stop that. Immediatly.
A visitor from /g/?

>>8301600
What you suggests is unlikely to work due to the forces involved. The taller the structure the wider the base. And the largest we have is Olympus Mons at 22 km or 26 km height (depending on your reference) and it already stands on a huge tall plains.

The weight is so immense it can hardly be bigger. And gravity on Mars is far less than on Earth.

A space elevator is a different thing since it does not rely only on supporting a huge weight but also uses a counter weight, to simplify things a bit. And a flawless CNT structure might be just make this possible. Perhaps.

>>8303599
Using Olympus Mons as a comparison/example for how big the base should be is rather silly. We're talking about buildings, not mountains. The Burj Khalifa's base isn't 30 times the length of its height.