One of the best ideas out there, IMO, is the "space elevator." In essence, it's like swinging a ball overhead on a string, just on a planetary level. The centrifugal forces in the spinning counteract the gravity force that will invariably pull down the object. The centrifugal force, as a result of centripetal acceleration, is related to the velocity. That is why stuff in space orbiting the Earth have to fly around at tremendous speeds (17,000 mph+). In any case, if we could put a large object in geosynchronous orbit, and then run a strand of lightweight wire down to the surface of the Earth, and then another, and then another, etc. until we have a very solid cord tethered between the surface and the object in space, we can then use the cord to elevate objects into space just like a conventional elevator. Of course, because of the scale, the manufacture of this material might likely have to be in space, not on Earth. So there's that too.
Here's a video that breaks it down for you:
Now for the problem: we have nothing that's nearly strong enough and at the same time light enough. So I read an interesting article on FoxNews today: "Engineering Breakthrough May Make Possible 'Space Elevator.' " Could the dream be closer to reality than I thought? Possibly. If this material could be produced, it will have to be done so on a massive scale. And the elevator will be by far the largest (and most expensive) structure ever built by man. If the investment can be made (hey - the U.S. government is about to dump $1 trillion to maybe stimulate the economy), then we will have vastly cheaper access into space. The shuttle will no longer be launched from the surface of the Earth, which is too expensive. We will go to Mars. Heck - we might be taking vacations in space stations!
For another good viewing of the concept, check out Star Trek: Voyager (episode named "Rise"), Episode 19, Season 3. I can't remember exactly what the episode was about, but I sure do remember the space elevators!
