While much of the first day of the Space Elevator Conference was dedicated to the problem of space trash, the concept also faces another significant challenge. “We have one big problem — everything ...

The space elevator is one of those ideas that seems to have an endless supply of lives. Originally proposed about a century-and-a-quarter ago, this concept calls for a tether of supermaterial that ...

Researchers have created the first diamond nanothreads -- which are basically like carbon nanotubes, but stronger and stiffer. Mathematically, these diamond nanothreads are possibly the strongest and ...

A new form of carbon ribbon that’s ultra-flexible and super-strong could become the infrastructure for the first working space elevator. Such a structure would usher in a new era in easy space travel.

The idea of an elevator that could transport humans into space with ease has long been a fantasy of science fiction writers. However, a new form of carbon ribbon could actually make it possible.