Most difficult and most expensive part of going into space has always been the first leg of the journey-The first few 100 kms where the pull of gravity is strongest and up to now the only way to overcome this obstacle has been the use of costly,in-efficient and dangerous rockets. But pretty soon, possibly in next few decades, rockets will be replaced with a cheaper and better way. Until quite recently it was merely an idea from science fiction but advancements in material science are making it a reality. It’s called the space elevator. The cable extends 100,000 kms from the surface of the earth to the space and is held along with the centripetal force generated by the spinning of earth. The climber is controlled by using simple electric motors, which pulls itself up the cable delivering people and cargo into orbit. The main advantage of the space elevator is cost. While a typical shuttle launch costs $20000 per kg of cargo, a space elevator can carry the same amount for only $200. The space elevator would open a new frontier for commercial interest. One exciting possibility is harnessing solar energy in space. Unlike a rocket, a space elevator can carry huge amount of solar panels in the space for a relatively low cost. Once in orbit, these panels would beam energy back to earth using a laser. This type of power is cheap, clean, and inexhaustible, but this is only possible if space elevator is built. Another benefit we can consider is environmental impact. Rockets put a lot of pollutants into atmosphere. These include ozone depleting chemicals like hydrochloric acid and chlorine. A single shuttle launch can dump 75 tons of chlorine in fragile ozone layer. A space elevator on the other hand generates its lifting force on the ground using fission reaction- the greenest way of getting into space. Perhaps the most intriguing benefit of the space elevator is allowing ordinary people to access space, rather than a privileged few astronauts and or billionaires. A trip...