AN ARCHITECT has revealed his ambitious plan to develop a “space elevator” capable of transporting humans to space.
The object, dubbed Ascensio, would comprise a long cable tethering an asteroid trapped in geosynchronous orbit to a floating platform back on Earth.
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It is the brainchild of Barrow-based Jordan William Hughes.
The architect claims that his design, which would connect Earth with an orbiting satellite, will become a staple of future travel to the stars.
Jordan recently scooped £8,600 after nabbing the Jacques Rougerie Foundation prize for Ascensio, and intends to put those winnings towards developing his ambitious plan.
But how will it work?
According to Jordan, drones will transport passengers up and down on the cable like trains on a track, bringing people and cargo in and out of the atmosphere.
There will be six in total for each excursion – three accommodating humans and containing oxygen and the other three to store cargo.
Once those on board arrive at the space station – situated 22,370 miles (36,000km) above Earth – they can stretch out their experience in the cosmic space.
“You’re already in space, from that point, you should be able to go anywhere you want,” Mr Hughes told Dazed.
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“If you’re going to go into space, you should not be staying in an Airbnb, it should be an amazing, once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
If Jordan’s designs come to life, that’s certainly what you’ll get.
The architect’s elaborate outline comes complete with swimming pools, zero gravity walkways, and inspiring views of Earth below.
“This is not a project that was just based around visuals,” he states.
“I love creating really beautiful images and exciting spaces, that’s what I do, but the competition was very much about research and development… trying to create a holistic design that would actually work.”
One of the most attractive features of Jordan’s plan is its affordability.
Currently, launching a Falcon 9 rocket 460km to the International Space Station currently costs £53million.
Mr Hughes added that eager astrophiles wouldn’t be exempt from boarding Ascensio.
“Currently [to transport something into space] rockets cost millions of dollars per pound.
“A space elevator, in the long term, should be able to get that down to a few dollars per pound.”
Despite a cluster of remaining technical obstacles to hop over, including the need for new materials, Jordan is eager his plan will one day come to fruition.
“In terms of mankind looking to the future, I do think it’s realistic. I think it’s necessary,” he said.
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“I really hope that we get to see some of these amazing pieces of space architecture that we see in science fiction.
“But for that to become a reality, we need a different way of doing things. That was the whole driving force.”
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