Diagram showing equatorial and polar Lunar space elevators running past L1. An L2 elevator would mirror this arrangement on the Lunar far side, and cargo dropped from its end would be flung outward into the solar system.
A lunar space elevator or lunar spacelift is a proposed transportation system for moving a mechanical climbing vehicle up and down a ribbon-shaped tethered cable that is set between the surface of the Moon "at the bottom" and a docking port suspended tens of thousands of kilometers above in space at the top.
It is similar in concept to the better known Earth-based space elevator idea, but since the Moon's surface gravity is much lower than the Earth's, the engineering requirements for constructing a lunar elevator system can be met using materials and technology already available. For a lunar elevator, the cable or tether extends considerably farther out from the lunar surface into space than one that would be used in an Earth-based system. However, the main function of a space elevator system is the same in either case; both allow for a reusable, controlled means of transporting payloads of cargo, or possibly people, between a base station at the bottom of a gravity well and a docking port in outer space.
A lunar elevator could significantly reduce the costs and improve reliability of soft-landing equipment on the lunar surface. For example, it would permit the use of mass-efficient (high specific impulse), low thrust drives such as ion drives which otherwise cannot land on the Moon. Since the docking port would be connected to the cable in a microgravity environment, these and other drives can reach the cable from low Earth orbit (LEO) with minimal launched fuel from Earth. With conventional rockets, the fuel needed to reach the lunar surface from LEO is many times the landed mass, thus the elevator can reduce launch costs for payloads bound for the lunar surface by a similar factor.
and 27 Related for: Lunar space elevator information
A lunarspaceelevator or lunar spacelift is a proposed transportation system for moving a mechanical climbing vehicle up and down a ribbon-shaped tethered...
A spaceelevator, also referred to as a space bridge, star ladder, and orbital lift, is a proposed type of planet-to-space transportation system, often...
This is a list of occurrences of spaceelevators in fiction. Some depictions were made before the spaceelevator concept became fully established. Kris...
of spaceElevator:2010 Lunarspaceelevator Megaproject Non-rocket spacelaunch Orbital ring Skyhook (structure) Spaceelevator construction Space elevator...
conceived the idea of a spaceelevator, sometimes referred to as a synchronous tether, and, in particular, analyzed a lunarelevator that can go through the...
portal Lunarspaceelevator – Proposed transportation system Non-rocket spacelaunch – Concepts for launch into spaceSpaceelevator construction Space elevator...
habitat dependent on imports. Transport costs would be reduced by a lunarspaceelevator if and when one can be constructed. The 2006 announcement by the...
proposed megastructures, only the orbital elevator, the Lofstrom launch loop, and Martian or lunarspaceelevator concepts could be built using conventional...
There are several future lunar missions planned or proposed by various nations and organisations. The following robotic space probe missions have been...
Prototype LunarSpaceElevator T.M. Eubanks and M. Laine, Liftport Luna Kickstarter project comments thread LiftPort - The SpaceElevator: Opening Space to Everyone...
propose other concepts involving space tethers, including the lunarspaceelevator, and using rotating tethers for space transportation. Arthur C. Clarke...
Jerome; Eugene Levin; John Oldson & Harry Wykes (2005). "LunarSpaceElevators for Cislunar Space Development Phase I Final Technical Report" (PDF). Leake...
and "orbital towers". A terrestrial spaceelevator is beyond our current technology, although a lunarspaceelevator could theoretically be built using...
2023. Retrieved 22 November 2023. "NASA Astronauts Test SpaceX Elevator Concept for Artemis Lunar Lander – NASA". Archived from the original on 22 December...
humans on the Moon. Commander Neil Armstrong and Lunar Module Pilot Buzz Aldrin landed the Apollo Lunar Module Eagle on July 20, 1969, at 20:17 UTC, and...
was an American engineer and space scientist best known for his work on spaceelevators, including a lunarspaceelevator. He was president of STAR, Inc...
Martian and lunarspaceelevators could be built with modern-day materials however. A spaceelevator on Phobos has also been proposed. Spaceelevators also have...
LiftPort SpaceElevator". liftport.com. Archived from the original on 12 February 2008. Retrieved 11 February 2008. "NASA Reaches Milestone in Space Launch...
atop the agency's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. The competition includes three stages: Ground Tournaments, Deep Space Derby, and Lunar Derby. The Ground...
rocket jet packs; but particularly notable are the Lunar Lander Challenge and the SpaceElevator Games. 85,000 visitors attended the 2007 X Prize Cup...
Scientific Exploration (Caves of Mars Project) – Penelope J. Boston Lunarspaceelevator – Jerome Pearson – final report.pdf Magnetic sail – Robert Zubrin...
the airless vacuum of space, and remains the only crewed vehicle to land anywhere beyond Earth. Lunarspaceelevator – or lunar spacelift, is a proposed...
capture Asteroid Redirect Mission Deep Space Industries Gravity train / elevator In situ resource utilization Lunar resources Mining Mining the Sky: Untold...
Global Information