Going Up An Elevator Ride To Space Summary

The “Going up? An Elevator Ride to Space” Summary
The possibility of science fiction becoming reality through the use of space elevators is discussed in Sheldon Kearney’s essay, “Going up? An Elevator Ride to Space,” which Kearney writes about the benefits of a space elevator, and the conflicts that could arise out of it. Kearney opens up his explanatory synthesis essay with an explanation of what a space elevator is, and the physics behind making science fiction reality. He writes that a space elevator is exactly what it sounds like, a elevator that goes into space. Giving an allusion of the physics by comparing it to a child swinging a rock on a string, which isn’t affected by gravity because of centrifugal forces. The solution to creating
Kearney states that the space elevator would be valuable to plenty dangers and would need to find a location with a weather-stable climate. He again speaks on the size of the price tag of a space elevator as compared to a chemical rocket by showing the carrying capacity of both machines and the price to carry cargo. Kearney not only talks of the benefits of the project, but the politics that it would create. Countries would not peacefully accept any one country owning the space elevator, and that many of those countries would create ways to block the creation of the elevator from occurring. Another thing kearney states is how common it has been in the last century for countries to go to war with one another over the control of weapons, and states the elevator will be seen as a weapon of mass destruction for any country that attempts to create one. He explains the Outer Space Treaty, that requires all countries to peacefully allow others access to space exploration, and hints that more power countries will only allow richer countries access to their space elevator. In his conclusion, Kearney summarizes his essay by reminding the reader of the benefits and conflicts that could be possibility if the