Will the Space Elevator Be the Next Big Step for Humanity?
hold-up: a problem or delay that stops something from happening
Two astronauts have been stuck on the International Space Station since June. They were supposed to be on an 8-day mission, but they are now stranded because of problems with their spacecraft. They are now waiting for a rescue that won’t arrive until February 2025.
While it won’t help these two astronauts, a space elevator might be the solution in the future. This idea has been around for a long time. Scientists think it could make travel to space easier and faster.
The space elevator would be a long cable that stretches from the Earth to space. Special vehicles could go up and down the cable, carrying satellites, equipment, and even people. This system could make it cheaper to send things into space. It might also help with mining on asteroids or building villages on the moon.
Physicist Bradley Edwards says we have the technology to do it. The only hold-up is funding. Japanese company Obayashi estimates it would cost 100 billion dollars. Edwards has a much more conservative projection of 8 billion dollars. His plans have been rejected by NASA, but he isn’t giving up, and he isn’t alone. The International Space Elevator Consortium continues to work towards making this vision a reality.
Sample sentences
The concert was supposed to start at 7 PM, but a technical hold-up delayed the show.
I don’t know what the hold-up was at the airport but we were waiting in line for over an hour.
The project would have been finished last week, but there was a hold-up in getting the materials delivered.
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Two astronauts are stuck in space. Soon, the solution could be an elevator