What are Regulatory Challenges to a Space Elevator?

[WannabeRocketScientist]

Hi! This is something I have wondered about for a while, as the Space Elevator concept has fascinated me for a while. My main question is what kind of governmental regulation is standing in the way of a space elevator, and probably most importantly the regulations that will be necessary to make the space elevator a feasible and safe mode of space access.

Some things I have thought of that would be necessary as far as regulation for a space elevator are:

• -Making it unlawful to fly planes near the elevator, and likewise having it placed in a low- air traffic area.
  -Making sure it did not intersect any occupied LEO orbits (although the entity building the elevator would look into this for their best interests as well).
  -Breaking through regulatory limitations on height
  -Elevators would need their own regulations for building code, fire safety, elevator safety, etc.
  -Some form of entity like the TSA to screen cargo and potential riders (once feasible for civilian travel, which if it were a commercial space elevator would be necessary).

What else would probably be necessary?

P.S. Glad to meet you all!

 

[nux]

no equat. fly; no occ. leo, no reg. high

Start near Antarctica, say, between the continent on the one side, and South America and Africa on the other. Marry two extruders of Carbon Nano-tube so that they face each other. As they extrude the product they move apart, joined, but away from each other. The product is hollow so that it floats. It is exactly straight so it doesn't behave like a bow held by the handle, string up, and then let fall to the string down position. The ramp should be exactly straight. As time goes on the hollow ramp sinks to the bottom of the Southern Ocean but the two extruders are well out of the water. The alignment of the ramp is not due East and due West but the eastern arm is a little bit north, and the western a little bit south. Specially-designed craft navigate along the ramp in order to provide raw material to the extruders. The time comes when the extruders, still equi-distant, leave the atmosphere, and then the grav-well. They fly off somewhere beyond escape velocity.

Regs. for building code, fire safety, elevator safety, etc.

Suppose one intelligent and motivated member from each large bank joined a body that regulated those same banks; would that regulate the banks?
Suppose one intelligent and motivated member from each space agency or administration joined the Relevator; would that regulate the elevator?

TSA-like screen

I think it would be like boarding a train. The elevator would have a Mag Lev rail on the outside and underneath the ramp; and a runway-type surface for 'auto-mobile' taxis. Screening would be similar to today's routine. No, screening is fine; scanning on the other hand might be a different matter.

David C, also fascinated by the Space Elevator