The Space Elevator: From Science Fiction to Engineering

Guest Speaker

Thursday, 15th January 2026 (19:45 - 22:00)

Venue: Hybrid

 This talk will cover the basic concepts of the Space Elevator as conceived by Bradley Edwards and Eric Westling in their book “The Space Elevator—a revolutionary Earth-to-Space Transportation System.” Larry will also discuss concepts that have been developed by the International Space Elevator Consortium since that book was first published in 2003. Once we have a space elevator, the cost to get to orbit should plummet and the colonization of space can begin. Larry Bartoszek has done original design work on the first 900 kg construction climber for the space elevator, the 20 tonne first commercial climber, and a possible 200 tonne climber based on the 20 tonne climber technology. Climbers are electric vehicles that roll straight up the elevator ribbon and out of Earth’s atmosphere. Larry will show how the space elevator can outperform rockets in boosting payloads up to geostationary orbit and beyond.  

Join online if you can't meet us at the meeting room HERE

Speaker: Larry Bartoszeg

Larry Bartoszek who was a researcher at FermiLab, designer of the Space Elevator and now president of Bartoszek Engineering. Larry Bartoszek has a dual degree in Mechanical Engineering and Physics from the University of Illinois and is an Illinois Licensed Professional Engineer.
He is a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the American Welding Society, ASM International, the Chicago Society for Space Studies, the National Space Society, and is Vice President of the International Space Elevator Consortium. He is also a Space Ambassador for NSS.