A Japanese firm has vowed to build an elevator that reaches into space. They plan to have it up and running by 2050.

The company taking this bold new leap into the final frontier is the Japanese construction giant Obayashi Corporation, one of Japan's five largest construction firm and based in Minato, Tokyo.

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At present, numerous companies have begun developing technology and vehicles for space travel. Most of them are rockets or spacecraft attached to rockets. The boldest one is a balloon that takes humans to space.

Obayashi plans to revolutionize and change the face of space travel, both in method and cost. Their plan is currently the most unique process of getting to space; using an elevator.

The elevator they plan to build will reach 96,000 kilometers into space.

This elevator will be used by robotic cars powered by magnetic linear motors that will transport people and cargo to a newly-built space station.

The company adds that each of these trips will only cost a fraction of what it takes to ready rockets for space launch.

Yoji Ishikawa, a manager for research and development, attributes the possibility of the space elevator to carbon nanotechnology.

Ishikawa says carbon nanotubes are almost a hundred times stronger than steel.

He admits that at present, Obayashi can't make everything it needs since they can only build nanotubes that are three centimeters long.

While this isn't enough for their plan, he assures that by 2030, Obayashi will have the means to build everything it needs.

He also says the project is definitely a possibility, but can only succeed if they get help from other companies and countries.

There is much interest in the elevator since it makes it far easier to travel into and return from space.

TagsSpace Eleavtor, Obayashi