He added that the LiftPort team still needs to research the effects of rapid temperature changes that cargo would undergo as it ascended the space elevator. Work is also needed to determine how to protect cargo from solar radiation and how potential tether materials handle atmospheric changes. Then, of course, there are the complicated logistics of building such an elevator in the first place.
Ironing out those details is a slow process in these early stages. For now, it involves a lot of paperwork, complicated simulations, and financing efforts, Laine said.
"It's the boring, mundane task of building the biggest thing ever," he added.