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Yes, scientists are actually building an elevator to space - Fabio Pacucci

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TEDEd Animation

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Sending rockets into space requires sacrificing expensive equipment, burning massive amounts of fuel, and risking potential catastrophe. So in the space race of the 21st century, some engineers are abandoning rockets for something more exciting: elevators. What would it take to build such a structure? Fabio Pacucci explores the physics behind modern space elevators.

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Meet The Creators

  • Educator Fabio Pacucci
  • Director Tjoff Koong Studios
  • Narrator Addison Anderson
  • Animator Tezo Kyungdon Lee, Magnus Lenneskog
  • Sound Designer Stephen LaRosa
Avatar for Sazia Afrin
Lesson in progress

This lesson explained how a possible future technology could revive the space race, dramatically reducing the costs and complexity of transporting cargo into space. Let’s step back for a moment. Why would we want to increase our access to space at all? Why is space so crucial for our current stage of development as a civilization, and why do we expect that it will become even more fundamental in the years ahead? Take a moment to think about all the activities that satellites have allowed you to do today.


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Avatar for George Jeffers
Lesson completed

Due to the significantly reduced price of using the space elevator versus a rocket, that itself is one valid reasons to explain why it it the future. We would also get more access to space with this elevator. We could begin to expand our resources and our people to other planets.


Avatar for Gavin B
Lesson completed

Studying space would be very convenient for future space travelers, and allows us to expand our civilization out into distant planets. Space might also hide some clues or contain resources that would advance our lives or science greatly.


Avatar for Kerah Jayanna
Lesson completed

We need to find out more about space because it just might help us in the future. There's a lot more to learn than just what's on earth.


Avatar for Alessandra Gaffney
Lesson completed

it is very important to increase our access to space as that way it will open up more possibilities for space exploration. Space has many things yet to be discovered that could help solve problems on earth.


Avatar for Naba Hussain
Lesson completed

It is very important that we increase space exploration so we can learn more about space and to help the future of civilization. space allows us to find many of its mysteries that may help us in the future.


Avatar for Abril Flores Ochoa
Lesson in progress

The increase of space exploration is important to us because we can expand our knowledge of space, and be able to expand our race across the milky way. But to get there we have to find solutions of how to get there safely and efficiently.


Avatar for Jane Bennion
Lesson in progress

We would want to increase our access to space because if we do, we would have more knowledge about space and we would be able to learn and know more about space. Space also lets and allows us to find things we cannot get to and have helped us learn more.


Avatar for Sujaan Agravat
Lesson completed

We should explore space because there are a lot of unknowns of space and we want to learn more about it. Satellites have been used for Gps and monitoring weather.


Avatar for Ayman Ando
Lesson in progress

it would take stronger materials.we could accomplish a lot if we find the materials


Avatar for Johar Taibali
Lesson completed

We should increase our access to space because space provides more information about how planets work. Space also allows us to find things we cannot get too.

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