@sundogplanets I’m sure that won’t cause any problem at all for the tens of thousands of future satellites being planned. No problem at all.

Not as much a planet as just a giant windmill. How entertaining.

@sundogplanets just because the stakeholders aren't in on the joke doesn't mean it's not funny

@sundogplanets how could it be a joke -- they even have three new songs about space elevators /s 🙄

@sundogplanets I love the idea of a space elevator!

If only physics would look the other way....

@sundogplanets i just canNOT

@sundogplanets “The manufacture of tether-quality material for a space elevator still needs more development” is the understatement of the century.

@sundogplanets Can't wait for a tether to break with some massive object in the stratosphere.

@sundogplanets Look there are only so many million $ purses that rich folks can buy so the need something else to spend their money on. It's just a long shot bet like a lottery ticket. Without some astounding breakthroughs in material science it ain't happening but people are happy to take investors money to give it a shot.

@sundogplanets

They've been a thing for almost 20 years now.

Fine for speculative engineering. Very far from any actual application.

@sundogplanets
I’m sure it will be fine. No elevator has ever broken down before, or got stuck, so nothing to worry about./s

@sundogplanets
That one little line about "suitable tether material " is the big sticking point. All the science fiction i read as a teenager never considered impacts with a bazillion satellites.

@sundogplanets wow the faq is a jawdropping masterpiece of wishful thinking..

@sundogplanets Not really an answer, but https://xkcd.com/697/

@sundogplanets I think there's a valid distinction to be made between "not a joke" and "the people doing it don't understand that it's a joke".