Space elevators, aside from lacking carbon nanotubes of sufficient length and strength, also suffer from a power problem when launching from planet Earth. They can’t carry a power source sufficiently light weight to feasibly climb the ribbon to geosynchronous orbit and beaming the power to the climber seems rather problematic (requires lots of battle-strength lasers pointed at space which some might look askance at.) So what to do?
Seems a launch engineer for the ESA might have a solution which has the added benefit of also being applicable to Earthly Super-Skycrapers…
…by carefully timed “jiggles” the ribbon itself can transfer upward motions to the climber. It’s hoped the system can be applied to proposed kilometre high Super-Skyscrapers as well, thus making its inventor some serious dosh.