Elevator

This story is based on a serious proposition by NASA to build a space elevator from the earth to 22,000 miles out in space.

NASA Plans Elevator To Space

With the cost of sending materials and people into space escalating, NASA has announced plans to construct a space elevator that will allow materials and passengers to travel from earth to space. One end of the cable would be anchored to the earth while the other end would be attached to a space station orbiting at about 22,000 miles from earth. According to NASA a space elevator would essentially be a long cable with one end attached to the earth (realistically at the equator) while the other end could theoretically be held by its own outward centripetal force. Magnetically powered vehicles would climb up and down the cable serving as mass transportation for moving people, satellites and other payloads between Earth and space.