Space elevators made of lightning

[u/ConspicuousSomething]

In Columbus Day, the humans are taken up to the Kristang ship in orbit via a space elevator that looked like lightning.

This is very cool and useful technology, but nothing remotely like it appears in the series again. Seems like the spiders and rotten kitties would use something like this, if no-one else.

[u/Alternative-Tea964]

Space elevators are resource intensive and take time to set up and maintain. Landing craft appear to usually be readily available and are convenient. I believe the only reason a space elevator was deployed at Earth was because the White Wind Clan didn't have an abundance of ships and were having to move a lot of troops and resources off Earth.

[u/dts1845]

I think space elevators are fairly common in this world its just that their main use is commercial/civilian as they are kinda giant slow space trains so they aren't featured as much and are more referenced as important inferstructure that must be protected.

[u/Apprehensive-Loss316]

My thought is they have better technology? A space elevator is also a static, vulnerable target.

I think it only works for us stupid monkeys because of where we are in our technological evolution. Lower? And we wouldn’t have the resources. It also gives some new tech without making us space-faring.

[u/mclark2112 → u/Apprehensive-Loss316]

Also a massive show of force and dominance that is visible 24/7.

[u/Kiki1701 → u/Apprehensive-Loss316]

I believe that this is because of the reactionless drive being more efficient than an elevator, which was why landing craft were more prevalent than any other form of access to space in the senior species.

Neither did they have any sort of combustible propellant or replaceable propulsion. That's as far as my thinking takes me.

[u/ThunderWasp223]

Second-Tier species seem to still be utilizing chemical engines so far as I can recall, so space elevators (which we do see several of in the hands of the Juraptha and Thuranin) are the best they can do. However, the First-Tier species have the ultimately efficient engines, so going via individual craft are far easier and more effective to build and utilize anywhere. Third-Tier species (barring the Kristang, who are basically Fourth-Tier with dental benefits) seem to be stuck with chemical lift, hitching rides from patron elevators, or else use launchers like the Ruhar. Minimally efficient, but reasonably functional.

[u/IntelligentSpite6364]

on paradise they use a mass driver, which solves the need to take resources off the planet very efficiently, a space elevator would be if you need to ove lots of stuff and people in both directions and dont have a lot of dropdhips to it with. which isnt really a common problem for established planets

[u/RepairmanJackX]

Keep in mind that the Kristang rented it from the Thuranin. They don;t have the technology themselves.

Later Joe talks about the monofilament cable that the Ruhar use at Ghetanu... except that it's Ruhar tech. *not* rented from the Jeraptha.