First 'space elevator' — a 66,000-mile cable to the cosmos— closer than ever before as scientists make breakthrough - New York Post

The International Space Elevator Consortium (ISEC) is preparing to announce next month what it calls its most promising tether material yet, a two-dimensional substance known as polycrystalline graphene, addressing the long-standing obstacle to building a space elevator.
The concept involves an ultra-strong electrified cable anchored at Earth's equator and extending roughly 66,000 miles beyond geostationary orbit, where a counterweight would keep it taut, allowing vessels to climb the cable to carry cargo and eventually people into space.
ISEC president Pete Swan compared the vision to replacing ferries with a permanent bridge, arguing the system would be routine, daily, inexpensive and safe while sparing the atmosphere from rocket pollution and avoiding orbital debris.
Advocates say the tether material must be scalable, roughly 100 times stronger than steel, exceptionally lightweight and able to spool efficiently, requirements that have historically prevented the idea from moving forward.
Researchers argue that current chemical rocket technology is too inefficient to support ambitious goals like permanent lunar and Mars presence, positioning the elevator as an alternative form of space infrastructure.
The report ties the discussion to President Trump's recent visit to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, where he pledged that American astronauts would establish a lasting presence on the Moon before advancing toward Mars, framing the era as a "golden age" of space exploration.