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🧪 Space Elevator Design Lab (2D)

A 2D cable designer that computes the real uniform-stress taper ratio from Earth's surface to a counterweight beyond geostationary orbit, so you can see why the choice of cable material decides whether a space elevator is buildable at all.

Aerospace Engineering & Orbital Mechanics2DModerate60 FPS📱 Mobile-adapted⇄ 3D version

This 2D companion strips the 3D scene's decorative shading down to the actual engineering question: given Earth's rotation and gravity, how much does a uniform-stress cable have to widen away from geostationary orbit to avoid snapping, and does any real material keep that widening finite? Pick a cable material, a safety factor and a counterweight altitude, and the taper ratio, total cable length and climb time update instantly — carbon nanotube is the only material here whose taper ratio stays buildable.

⚙ Under the hood

Uniform-stress taper law A(r) = A(GEO)·exp[(ρ/σ)·(GM(1/r − 1/r_GEO) + ½ω²(r² − r_GEO²))], evaluated live for steel, Kevlar, Zylon and carbon-nanotube cables with real density and tensile-strength values.

Space ElevatorOrbital MechanicsTaper RatioMaterial Science

2D · HTML5 Canvas 2D · 60 FPS target · runs fully client-side, no install