Why hasn't someone built a tower up to space from earth?

Question

Surely in this age of architecture and engineering the only issue would be finance and construction time? It is only a few miles to space (am I wrong?) I am sure it would take many years or decades for such a project but if someone justs builds up and up with a tower structure, it would eventually take man to space? The top floor penthouse suite would have a close up moon view, how cool would that be? It would be quite sensible when you consider the vast amounts of money NASA spend on their space shuttle missions.

Answer 1

LOL...we can't fund a fence to protect our border, and you want a tower to outer space? What, so people could walk into outer space? That's a knee slapper, it is! LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL..........

Answer 2

Not a tower - but a cable!

NASA are running a competition for building a cable to outer space and a robot that can climb the cable with a 'payload'.

If built, it could carry satellites into orbit very cheaply.

So far though, there has not been much success - early days I guess :)

Answer 3

Simply put, Mechanical Failure. Structural Integrity is a trade-off, like most everything in physics. When something is pushed to its strength limit, its elasticity is permanently damaged and deformations occur such as
Buckling
Corrosion
Creep
Fatigue
Fracture
Melting
Thermal shock
Wear
Yielding

Were we to build an enormous base for the tower, the load bearing capacity would be increased significantly, and the tower would be theoretically possible. However the significant lack of pressure and air in the upper atmospheres surrounding Earth, the impossible size of the thing, and lack of reasonable applications; make it seem like a waste of resources (Maintenance costs included).

Answer 4

Is it possible? Yes.

I don't believe it's likely to happen soon though. The finances and resources required would so enormous, that, today, it simply isn't worth the venture, even if we dared try.

And there's a big difference between designing a several mile high building and sending shuttles up into orbit. While it's possible, such a structure would take immense planning, resources, and time.

Answer 5

It would have to be carefully engineer that is for sure.... we would have to consider the stress and strains for the structure itself. I don't know much about atmospheric science, but I would imagine the wind changes in certain layers of the atmoshpere. I think would need a really big base and if it is large enough, then the Earth's rotational force would effect it.

There is no practical way to consturct it.

If the elevators went off and there was a fire... I don't want got down miles of height in stairs.......

Answer 6

The higher you go the stronger are the winds due to the earths rotation. Also the higher one goes the stronger will be the centrifugal force which will just rip the structure down. Speed of the Earth's Rotation at the Equator:
Circumference of the Earth at the Equator = 40,000 kilometers
Time to complete one Rotation = 24 hours
Speed of Rotation = Distance/Time = 40,000 km / 24 hr = 1670 km/hr .
Can you imagine trying to build something while moving that fast as you reach a few miles up?

Answer 7

1. too much money
2. easily fall which would waste the money
3. its basically just asking for a terrorist attack
4. NASA wouldnt dream of wasting time on a such a thing- people have dedicated their lives to becoming astronuts and like dreaming big of going into space in a rocket, but now all u have to do is take an elevator.
5. Also rockets are way cooler than elevators.

honastly i think it would piss alot of people off.
It would be cool though! Just too many things could go wrong.
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Answer 8

First off, the structure of the tower would have to be INTENSE. Second, gravity isn't exactly helping. Third, when the structure DOES give way (it's inevitable) can you imagine the lawsuit that would have been charged by the families of people who died when it did. Fourth, I'm not sure on this, but it might mess up the tide and the orbit.

Answer 9

Lets just assume somebody solves all the really obvious problems already listed and finds a way to actually build the structure. The upper part of the tower would not be protected from space debris by our atmosphere (generally incinerates long before reaching the surface). The constant impacts would soon leave the structure looking like the surface of the moon.

Answer 10

stronger are the winds due to the earths rotation. Also the higher one goes the stronger will be the centrifugal force which will just rip the structure down. Speed of the Earth's Rotation at the Equator:
Circumference of the Earth at the Equator = 40,000 kilometers
Time to complete one Rotation = 24 hours
Speed of Rotation = Distance/Time = 40,000 km / 24 hr = 1670 km/hr .
Can you imagine trying to build something while moving that fast as you reach a few miles up?

Answer 11

great idea and possible on other planets where there is less gravity but here on earth not possible . you would need to construct it from lighter and lighter material the higher you went or it would simply collapse under its own weight. stability is also a factor the higher the less stable without even taking into account weather wind earthquakes try making a tower of cans and see how high you get and finally the higher you go the less oxygen there is so the upper floors would need to be completely sealed . Still its a great idea