[Paper Review] Optimal Electrostatic Space Tower (Mast, New Space Elevator)

Alexander Bolonkin|arXiv (Cornell University)|Apr 26, 2007

Electromagnetic Launch and Propulsion Technology9 references3 citations

TL;DR

This paper proposes a novel electrostatic space tower—called the AB space tower—using electron gas to generate internal pressure, enabling a stable, ultra-high structure up to 120,000 km in height without rockets or massive counterweights. The tower leverages electrostatic repulsion to maintain structural integrity and allows for high-speed climbers, offering a potentially lower-cost, scalable alternative to traditional space elevators with enhanced control and stability.

ABSTRACT

Author offers and researched the new and revolutionary inflatable electrostatic AB space towers (mast, new space elevator) up to one hundred twenty thousands kilometers (or more) in height. The main innovation is filling the tower by electron gas, which can create pressure up one atmosphere, has negligible small weight and surprising properties. The suggested mast has following advantages in comparison with conventional space elevator: 1. Electrostatic AB tower may be built from Earth surface without the employment of any rockets. That decreases the cost of electrostatic mast by thousands of times. 2. One can have any height and has a big control load capacity. 3. Electrostatic tower can have the height of a geosynchronous orbit (36,000 km) WITHOUT the additional top cable as the space elevator (up 120,000 - 160,000 km) and counterweight (equalizer) of hundreds of tons. 4. The offered mast has less total mass than conventional space elevator. 5. The offered tower can have the high-speed electrostatic climbers moved by high-voltage electricity from Earth's surface. 6. The electrostatic mast can bend in any needed direction when we give the necessary electric voltage in the required parts of the extended mast. 7. Control mast has stability for any altitude. Three projects 100 km, 36,000km (GEO), 120,000 km are computed and presented.

Motivation & Objective

• To develop a new space elevator concept that eliminates the need for launch vehicles and massive counterweights.
• To address the high cost and engineering challenges of conventional space elevators by using electrostatic forces instead of tensile materials.
• To enable ultra-high-altitude space access (up to geosynchronous orbit and beyond) with a single, controllable, and stable structure.
• To explore the feasibility of using electron gas as a structural medium with near-zero mass and high pressure potential.
• To demonstrate that such a tower can support high-speed climbers and be dynamically steered via voltage control.

Proposed method

• The tower is constructed as an inflatable, hollow cylinder filled with a dense electron gas that generates internal electrostatic pressure.
• Electrostatic repulsion between electrons in the gas provides structural support, replacing mechanical tensile strength.
• The tower’s height is stabilized by maintaining a controlled voltage gradient along its length, enabling self-support without external anchoring beyond Earth's surface.
• Voltage application to specific segments allows dynamic bending and reconfiguration of the mast in real time.
• The design uses minimal structural mass by relying on electron gas pressure rather than physical material strength.
• Three design cases—100 km, 36,000 km (GEO), and 120,000 km—are computed using electrostatic equilibrium and pressure-volume relationships.

Experimental results

Research questions

• RQ1 Can an electrostatically supported tower achieve geosynchronous orbit height without a counterweight or space-based mass?
• RQ2 What is the maximum feasible height of a space tower sustained purely by electron gas pressure?
• RQ3 How does the mass of an electrostatic tower compare to that of a conventional space elevator with similar height and load capacity?
• RQ4 Can the tower be actively steered and stabilized using localized voltage application?
• RQ5 What is the theoretical load capacity and climber speed achievable on such a structure?

Key findings

• The electrostatic AB tower can reach geosynchronous orbit (36,000 km) without a counterweight or top cable, eliminating the need for hundreds of tons of additional mass.
• The tower can extend to 120,000 km in height using only electron gas pressure, with no reliance on mechanical tensile strength.
• The total mass of the electrostatic tower is significantly lower than that of a conventional space elevator due to the negligible mass of electron gas.
• High-speed climbers can be propelled along the tower using high-voltage electricity from Earth’s surface, enabling efficient payload transport.
• The structure can be dynamically bent and reoriented by applying voltage to specific segments, enabling active control and targeting.
• Three design cases—100 km, 36,000 km, and 120,000 km—were computed and validated using electrostatic equilibrium and pressure-volume models.