Up, up, and away...

Specialists put space elevator on fast track

The message from the First International Space Elevator Conference, held here Aug. 12-13, is that the concept is an idea whose time has come … well, almost. World-class specialists in diverse fields -- from materials science, bridge-building and aerospace technology to law, business and financing -- contend the project is on the up-and-up.

“This is a vertical railroad,” said Brad Edwards, co-founder of HighLift Systems, a privately held, Seattle-based firm established this year.

As Robert Heinlein is quoted as saying, "Once you're in orbit, you're halfway to anywhere."