太空电梯最关键的组件是地球和空间之间伸展的电缆，等待纳米技术的进一步进步。
The first thing to understand about space elevators is that, in principle, they should work.
国际宇航员学院在同行审查的可行性评估中，去年年底发布的41个贡献者在同行评审的可行性评估中总结道：“空间电梯似乎是可行的，并意识到必须通过技术进步来减轻风险。”报告指出：“通过全球主要企业可以实现太空电梯基础设施。”
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这个概念是，如果离心力足够长，并且将显着的质量固定在末端，则将固定在赤道的地球上的轻质，高强度的色带将被离心力嘲笑和高空。地球的旋转将使重量通过足够的力使电缆的末端保持延伸，以使有效载荷载体可以像杆子一样爬上它，并在逃脱地球的重力并接近地静止轨道时逐渐变得更轻。人们和材料可以定期，平稳地升至GSO，并以今天从表面发射的火箭发射的一小部分和暴力行为上升。
IAA以及研究该概念的其他工程和科学团体说，从技术上讲，唯一阻碍地球上建造一个障碍的障碍是缺乏材料的光线和新利18备用足够强大的丝带，尽管有乐观的纳米很乐观技术可能是生产它的关键，并尽快。科学家说，鉴于月亮的重力要低得多，因此可以在月球上建造电梯，因此对电缆的需求较低。
The dream is glimmering.
Scientists say that a space elevator could be built on the moon now with available materials, given the moon’s much lower gravity and consequent lower demand on the cable.
On Sept. 24, a research team at Penn State University announced that it has discovered how to produce ultra-thin diamond nanothreads by putting benzine under extreme, slowly-released pressure. The thread promises to be stronger and harder than any other material in the world.
“我们形成有一个线程结构,never been seen before," John Badding, the research team leader, said in the discovery announcement. The core is a long, thin strand of carbon atoms arranged just like the fundamental unit of a diamond's structure — zig-zag “cyclohexane” rings of six carbon atoms bound together, in which each carbon is surrounded by others in the strong triangular-pyramid shape of a tetrahedron, the announcement stated.
"It is as if an incredible jeweler has strung together the smallest possible diamonds into a long miniature necklace," said Badding. "Because this thread is diamond at heart, we expect that it will prove to be extraordinarily stiff, extraordinarily strong, and extraordinarily useful."
“我们为我们开发的纳米材料的最疯狂的梦之一是，它们可以用来制造超强，轻巧的电缆，这将使迄今为止仅作为科幻小说才存在的“太空电梯”的构建成为可能主意，”公告中加入了巴丁。
