Explore the real economics of building and operating a space elevator—from ship-launched ribbons to megaton climbers—and how this infrastructure could change the world.
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Credits:
Space Elevator Economics: Building And Operating A Superhighway To Space
Episode 726; June 19, 2025
Written, Produced & Narrated by: Isaac Arthur
Edited by:
Adrian Nixon
Ludwig Luska
Peter Swan
Graphics:
Anthrofuturism
Atlantis Project
Katie Byrne
Phil Swan
Sergio Botero
Udo Schroeter
Select imagery/video supplied by Getty Images
Music Courtesy of Epidemic Sound http://epidemicsound.com/creator
Chris Zabriskie, “Unfoldment, Revealment”, “A New Day in a New Sector”
Aerium, “Deijocht”
Stellardrone, “Red Giant”, “Billions and Billions”
Lombus, “Hydrogen Sonata”, “Cosmic Soup”
Chapters
0:00 Intro
1:20 The Economics of Building a Space Elevator
10:52 Early Operations & Ship-Based Launch Platforms
17:51 Climber Economics: Reuse vs. Repurposing
20:49 Expanding the Elevator Network
27:10 Beyond GEO: Space Elevators as Interplanetary Boosters
32:27 Why Space Elevators Change Everything
35:27 Non-Equatorial Space Elevators & Urban Integration