SELBE Research Institute
The International Space Elevator Consortium (ISEC)
Note from the ISEC CHIEF ARCHITECT: ELEVATE - 2026
As humanity stands on the cusp of this new era, these ribbons from oceans to space offer the promise of making space accessible to all, fostering global cooperation, positioning humanity to address Earth’s challenges, and inspiring a sustainable future for our planet.
Modern-Day Space Elevators are on the brink of transforming our relationship with space, offering an eco-friendly, cost-effective, routine, safe and efficient logistics methodology to transport large cargoes into space. They have the potential to unlock a plethora of solutions to Earth’s most pressing challenges such as harvesting solar power from space, climate monitoring, lunar and Martian settlement, global communication networks, etc.
Here are some of the ISEC Chief Architect’s projections – conclusions – realizations – insights:
Space elevators will position humanity to address Earth’s challenges from a new vantage point.
This daily gateway, as a permanent transportation infrastructure to GEO and beyond, will provide unparalleled opportunities in space exploration, resource utilization, and satellite assembly.
Starting in the late 2030s, space elevator infrastructures will deliver satellites and other payloads to GEO, the Moon and Mars at an initial rate of 30,000 tonnes every year. This surpasses the total launched between 1957 and 2022. A seismic shift! INDEED!
By harnessing electricity for lift, each space elevator promises a green road to space with initial daily deliveries of up to 14 tonnes to geostationary orbit (GEO) and beyond, dramatically reducing the environmental impact as compared to rocket launches.
Space elevator designs have an unmatched 70% delivery efficiency of pad mass to GEO, as compared to only 2% for rockets.
Peter Swan, Ph.D.
FBIS, FAIAA, MIAA
Ad Astra on Filo
The 2025 ISEC Conference was held virtually September 6-7,2025. The video presentations and slides are available at:
https://www.isec.org/2025-isec-conference-videos
Papers from multiple ISEC conferences are at:
https://www.isec.org/isec-conference-papers
A PDF book on the history of space elevators is available at:
SELBE RI Comments
This international consortium draws a wide range of experts working on technologies supporting space elevator concepts. The key technology under development is the tether capable with a length that could be well over 22,000 miles to transport an elevator car from the Earth surface to and from a space station in GEO orbit directly above the elevator’s base on the Earth’s surface.
Once successfully demonstrated, the cost and risks of traveling to and from the Earth’s surface to orbit will drop dramatically ushering in a new age for humanity. These space elevators could also be used on the Moon and Mars as well.
In addition, the tethers need on reach the Earth surface from GEO. Like a fishing line with a hook shorter tethers could be lowered from a space station in GEO. A suborbital flight from the Earth’s surface could fly up to the hook at the end of the tether and attach its payload to the hook as well as dock with a descending payload that was attached to the tether hook. The suborbital flight would use less propellant and travel at much lower speeds generating much less heat when reentering the Earth’s atmosphere than an orbiting spacecraft. In this manner, space elevator capabilities can be demonstrated and economic benefits realized sooner and incrementally.
The International Space Elevator Consortium (ISEC)
