You might think that space travel requires fancy ships or rockets, but imagine this: a giant elevator reaching all the way to space, making it easier for everyone to journey beyond our planet.
Yes, space elevators, machines capable of transporting payloads straight into space from Earth's surface, aren't just a wild dream.
In movies like Star Wars, similar technology lets characters and ships zip into space without the need for traditional spacecraft.
While those movie structures were pure fiction, the idea behind them has some real-world potential.
Currently, there's a growing interest in space travel, with ordinary citizens eagerly signing up for tourist trips to the cosmos.
According to physics professor Stephen Cohen, who shared his thoughts in a post for Scientific American, space elevators might not be as far off as we think. He believes they could become a reality in the next two to three decades.
But what exactly is a space elevator? Picture a long cable extending from Earth's equator, tethered to a satellite at the other end, spinning in sync with our planet's rotation.
Now, why would we even need such a thing?
Unlike in Star Wars, where space elevators were a must due to wonky atmospheres on different planets, Earth's atmosphere is relatively stable. However, these elevators could drastically cut down the costs associated with space travel.
Once operational, they could launch satellites, spacecraft, and even astronauts directly into space, all from one central point.
And imagine the possibilities for space tourism! It's an idea that's currently just a dream but could become a reality someday.
But hold on, we're not quite there yet. Cohen explains that while we've made progress in developing suitable materials, we're still about a decade away from finding the right material that's both feasible and affordable.
Space travel may still seem like a distant concept, but we can learn a lot from astronauts who've spent extended periods in space. In fact, science has even explored why astronauts often return from their journeys as changed individuals.
space tourism!