"...Japan announced recently that it was researching plans to build a space elevator – a link to space that could transport cargo and even tourists – for as little as $11 billion..."
This little tidbit of news which went largely unnoticed by the American public, heralds an event of huge import - possibly the most important story of the 21st century, and will determine if the United States will remain a super-power.
Why on Earth - or off Earth in this case - would any nation in their right mind build an expensive elevator that goes nowhere?
Actually, any military general irrespective of training and cultural origin will tell you that he who holds the high ground is in an advantageous position. Furthermore, if you are trying to get to a location for which there is competition, your chances of success over your opponent are greatly enhanced if you arrive the fastest with the mostest.
Essentially, that's what a space elevator does - hauls tonnage into space for a fraction of the cost that is presently performed by expensive chemical rockets. When construction in space becomes scalable, all sorts of industrial, scientific and yes - entertainment ventures - become not only possible but viable. Then there is the considerable advantage that for the first time in our species history we would have life insurance.
Any astronomer can tell you that it is not a matter of if - but when - a sizable asteroid will body-slam our planet. Then there are the terrorists and nut-job cults that might - with a half-decent lab - unleash a virus capable of extincting Mankind. Wouldn't it be nice to know that our species would have a good chance to survive such conflagrations?
The United States cannot afford to be without a space elevator. There would be the temptation to let other nations build it then hitch a ride, but the harsh fact of realpolitik is that whatever nation owns the space elevator will get to send up whatever they want and have the option to deny you access. For these reasons and many more, the Obama Administration may have very little choice but to build a Space Elevator.
Where does one build it?
Consider the basic parameters necessary for placing and constructing a space elevator:
* The location must be near the equator.
* Easy access for transportation.
* Road infrastructure.
* Securable.
Keeping these points in mind, if you were to circumnavigate the World at the equator you will find very few locations that satisfy these parameters.
There is surprisingly little land at the equator, and much of that is subject to unstable governments and/or too easily accessible to terrorist attack. One of the few locations that almost fit the above parameters is in the Galapagos islands, but unfortunately it is on an active volcanic island with no infrastructure at all.
So it would appear that the most attractive site would be the island state of Nauru, a small island in the Pacific. Consider the following:
* The island is a scant 40 miles from the equator.
* It has a full-size runway that can take commercial aircraft.
* There are port facilities.
* The population is small and inclined to Western ideals.
* Because of the vast expanse of ocean surrounding it, access
to the island can easily be monitored, thus enhancing security.
At a glance, it is surprising that such a small island with a proportionate population would be in possession of such over-sized transportation facilities, until you learn that this is because of it's main - and dwindling - export.
Guano - essentially bird-poop, layer upon layer secreted century upon century, created a commercially viable quantity of rich phosphates, suitable for fertilizer and other commodities. These were ruthlessly mined to exhaustion in the last century. With some of the proceeds, Nauru was able to build a hard-cover road that rings the island. They also had a first-rate runway constructed, capable of receiving commercial aircraft.
To remove the guano, a deep port facility was created which now sits largely unused.
English is widely spoken and literacy is at %97. The country desperately needs some kind of economical infusion, and an invitation to host a Space Elevator would probably be very favorably received.
There are technical hurdles, the oscillation problem that might occur with the cable, but oscillations can be magnetically dampened. If the cable is severed, it might cause catastrophic damage as it falls in upon the planet, but the cable could be segmented, boosting the parts into a harmless orbit. As with the building of the Suez and Panama canals, there will be unknown factors which will have to be overcome, and one might argue that a space elevator will remain out of the United States grasp because of the expense of research and construction. But considering the alternative, can the nation afford not to build it?