Artwork of a space elevator stopping at a high elevation platform. A space elevator is a conceptual method of getting people and payloads into orbit without the usual means of rocket fuel. Instead, a cable or column connects the ground to an orbital ring or a counterweight at geostationary orbit, which keeps the cable taut. Vehicles can then climb this cable with relative ease, reaching an altitude of, say, 50 km in less than an hour. Here, some kind of structure is tethered to the cable - it could be a hotel, a mall, or simply a viewing platform for recreation.