Lift off! Lunar 'space elevator' may be built by 2020

US firm announced an ambitious project to build a lunar space elevator that could transport both robots and humans using an existing technology, in less than a decade. Fundraising efforts are already underway.
Firm’s founder and former NASA researcher Michael Laine stated that LiftPort Group is capable of building a lunar space elevator within this decade. "About six months ago, we had a fundamental breakthrough, a breakthrough that we think is going to transform human civilization and we want you to be a part of it," Laine said.
A lunar space elevator is a cable running from the surface of the moon into space. It is similar to a concept known as the earth space elevator, which is LiftPort’s ultimate goal. The idea of the space elevator is designed to permit transport along the cable from a planetary surface directly into space without the use of large rockets. The cable would be held up due to the competing forces of gravity and the upward centrifugal force.
Laine claims that it is not possible to build the earth elevator today, as “the technology isn’t there yet.” Instead, he proposes “to build one on the Moon.”
“It is significantly easier, and much much cheaper. Importantly – we can build it with current technology – in about eight years,” he said.

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