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The fixed "classic" …

Space elevator

Alongside the mobile SpaZeLift, Space Cargo Lift GmbH is developing its fixed counterpart: a conventional space elevator anchored at Earth's equator, with its station in geostationary orbit at an altitude of 36,000 km and the heavy counterweight approximately 60,000 km above the Earth. We are also aiming to build a space elevator for Mars!

Basic Architecture and Tether System

  • The entire load-bearing system consists of 12 carbon nanotube tethers with a total weight of 1.44 million tonnes
  • The 4 outer tethers have a diameter of 10 cm, are smooth, protected from the weather by a sheath, and serve both for structural support and for power transmission
  • The 8 inner tethers are 5 cm thick and feature a ribbed rack structure that the climbers grip onto
  • Space debris in low Earth orbit (LEO) is cleared in advance by mobile SpaZeLift units (OCAAS), allowing the tether to be tensioned vertically without active evasive manoeuvres

Propulsion and Climber Design

  • The climbers are designed for a maximum payload of 100 tonnes. They use a modular, aerodynamic "stretch design" (up to 80 metres long with a usable internal diameter of 8 metres, adaptable to the payload) to fit perfectly into the 12-metre tether cage
  • Propulsion is provided by mechanical caterpillar tracks that bite into the 8 toothed inner tethers for maximum traction
  • Power is drawn from the 4 outer main tethers via extendable current collectors
  • A kinetic energy recovery system (regenerative braking) allows descending climbers to generate large amounts of electricity, which is used to power the ascending climbers
  • Each climber carries graphene supercapacitors produced on the Martian moons for emergency operation

The Fixed Mars Space Elevator

  • Base anchorage on Mars approximately 400 km north or south of the equator, as the tethers would otherwise collide with Phobos. We build the base station (Amazonis Planitia region) from Phobos and Deimos material: blocks weighing 3–5 tonnes are fired from the mass driver tunnels onto the target area. At an altitude of 500 metres, small braking thrusters ignite so that the blocks touch down intact. The blocks are then collected and stacked by autonomous special-purpose forklifts.
  • 8 to 12 graphene tethers (7 cm thick)
  • Climbers with a payload of 1,000 tonnes
  • Top station at an altitude of 17,000 km!
  • Counterweight (approx. 2–3 million tonnes) at an altitude of 19,000 km!
Sector 01

Point Zero Pazifik

A gigantic semi-submersible terminal platform in the Pacific. It uses seawater, admitted through sluice gates and enclosed in its hollow pylons, as massive, dynamic ballast to anchor the platform.

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Point Zero Pazifik

This is the most sensitive section. Here, the 12 graphene tethers must withstand wind loads, lightning strikes and chemical corrosion.

Protective sheath: In this section, the tethers are protected by aerodynamic fairings shaped like aircraft wings to minimise air resistance.

Sector 02

Station 1 – The LEO Fortress (at an altitude of 800 km, calculated at 20,000 tonnes)

Serves as a customs station and a heavily armoured kinetic shield that protects the tether from orbital debris. ERT damping systems are also used here for vibration control.

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Station 1 – The LEO Fortress (at an altitude of 800 km, calculated at 20,000 tonnes)

This region (LEO) has the highest density of space debris.

Shield segments: Armoured stations equipped with defence lasers are positioned every 500 km.

Sensor network: These segments act as the elevator's eyes, tracking every object within a radius of thousands of kilometres to keep the climbers' path clear. In addition, the graphene tethers can be coated during manufacturing.

Sector 03

Station 2 – Midway Bastion (15,000 km, 40,000 tonnes)

A heavily armoured hub within the outer Van Allen radiation belt. This is where cargo is transferred between the lower and upper tether segments.

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Station 2 – Midway Bastion (15,000 km, 40,000 tonnes)

With permanent microgravity and no atmosphere, this is the place for large-scale energy generation.

Solar arrays: Ultra-light solar membranes stretched between the 24 tethers generate gigawatts of electricity.

Inductive charging: The climbers (equatorial trains) do not need to carry heavy batteries — they draw their energy wirelessly, directly from the tether system.

Sector 04

Station 3 – GEO Hub (approx. 36,000 km, 60,000 tonnes)

The weightless administrative control centre and orbital hotel. It consists of a vacuum transit core and a twin-ring habitat with two counter-rotating rings that generate artificial Earth gravity (1 g) while cancelling out angular momentum.

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Station 3 – GEO Hub (approx. 36,000 km, 60,000 tonnes)

The heart of the logistics operation — at the exact point where the station remains stationary above the equator.

Distribution hub: This is where cargo loads are sorted. Goods bound for Mars or the Moon are loaded onto interplanetary transporters, while

Sector 05

Station 4 – Apex Terminal (60,000 km, 10,000,000 tonnes)

The counterweight and interplanetary spaceport. Built from 100 standardised, highly compacted 100,000-tonne rock blocks (Deimos mining waste) that form a vast hollow cylinder. Spacecraft dock in the protected interior and are catapulted into deep space without propellant, like a stone from a slingshot, by a superconducting railgun system combined with the immense centrifugal force. Energy is supplied by solar collectors and integrated graphene supercapacitors.

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Station 4 – Apex Terminal (60,000 km, 10,000,000 tonnes)

This section leads directly to the counterweight.

Counterweight logistics: Parts of the counterweight are divided into 10,000-tonne segments and act as a giant "pulley system".

Mass balancing: When a heavy climber ascends from Earth, the automated system

    The Safety Advantage —
    "Breakaway Nodes"

    Thanks to the segmented design, safety nodes can be installed every 1,000 km. If a section of tether is damaged, the node can "seal off" the tether locally, so that tension is maintained throughout the rest of the system and no chain reaction occurs.

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