Is someone travelling on a space elevator/escalator possible?

Let's assume that there is a way to travel into space that's not in a rocket, and a human can essentially just walk/be carried into the upper atmosphere and beyond.

Would there be anything that, physically, would stop a human traveling into space from Earth at a reasonable pace on a escalator/elevator? There is no outer shell on the transportation to protect the person from the harshness of space. It would be more like a paternoster than an actual enclosed elevator.

This device is attached to a man-made satellite station in geo-stationary orbit. It is just outside of our atmosphere and serves the best sushi anywhere. Don't ask how they get the fresh fish.

Let's assume that the person is wearing a space suit like the one Felix Baumgartner wore to go into space, but more advanced and longer-lasting so the person can survive in it for however long it takes to reach somewhere safe that they can rest. It allows the person to survive the change in pressure and temperature from the Earth's surface to the space station.

How far would this person be able to get? That is, how high up could this space station reasonably be that a human could reach it? If the perfect transportation and space suit and space station exist, could a human escape from Earth's atmosphere on their own for as long as it takes the oxygen to run out? Or are there other considerations for a human exiting the atmosphere?

posted over 9 years ago

Mike.C.Ford‭

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