Asteroid Mining

[Papewaio]

Meh basic 3D geometry means that something at a sufficient distance from either pole can view the space elevator at all times.

I wouldn't bother as it isn't a stable position. I'd use Lagrange points as main distribution hubs.

I'd look at trading some of the materials from asteroids to pay for components needed in the mining. But the real end game would be using materials in space to create habitats on asteroids, planets, moons and then colony arks to take us into the Oort cloud and beyond.

Right now we are a single cell immobile creature called earth stuck in the petri dish called our solar system.

[a completely inoffensive name]

Meh basic 3D geometry means that something at a sufficient distance from either pole can view the space elevator at all times.

I wouldn't bother as it isn't a stable position. I'd use Lagrange points as main distribution hubs.

I'd look at trading some of the materials from asteroids to pay for components needed in the mining. But the real end game would be using materials in space to create habitats on asteroids, planets, moons and then colony arks to take us into the Oort cloud and beyond.

Right now we are a single cell immobile creature called earth stuck in the petri dish called our solar system.

Wait where are you picturing the space elevator being built? Anywhere between......like the arctic and antarctic circles and the space elevator is going to be blocked from the solar collector by the earth itself as it is rotating.

[Papewaio]

The optimum position for the space elevator would be equatorial. From a purely geometrical not practical point of view you could view the space elevator like the hands of a clock from a polar aligned position in space with a high enough altitude.

I wouldn't bother with a single collector for a number of reasons. I would use a mix of Lagrange points, geostionary and polar orbits with redundancy built in to a series of micro power relays and maser the energy to it. I'd look at using frequencies that would be easily absorbed by the atmosphere to minimize accidents and/or weaponisation.

This way the elevator becomes not only a transport mechanism but a way of increasing energy to earth.