Article: https://www.electronicsweekly.com/news/business/japan-starts-space-elevator-experiments-2018-08/

HN thread: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17898152

I know some people here have strong opinions about space travel, which came up during the Elon Musk topics on Tildes. I wonder if, based on the limited information we have, people think Japan is taking the right approach with the space elevator; whether the cost estimate ($9 billion) sounds reasonable; and if you think they can succeed?