And She's Buying An Elevator To Space

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onstruction firms often come up with bold plans. But there's bold, and then there's elevator-to-space bold. Japanese construction company Obayashi Corp, who recently completed the 2,080-foot Sky Tree tower, announced that it plans to build an elevator that will travel 22,370 miles above the Earth, taking passengers into outer space.

The project could take 40 years to complete, but according to spokeswoman Satomi Katsuyama, it's entirely possible: "Our experts on construction, climate, wind patterns, design, they say it's possible.” 

The elevator plan calls for a carbon nanotube cable stretching 60,000 miles (1/4 of the distance to the moon) that would connect to some kind of counterweight floating in space,  presumably in geosynchronous orbit with the planet.

The elevator would carry 30 passengers and travel at 125 miles per hour. It would take one week to get to the waystation. Researchers and explorers could go the full distance, all the way to the end of the tether.

There's no word on how much this elevator would cost, who would pay for it, or what would happen if it got stuck.