First proposed by Russian scientists early in the 20th century and toyed with as a thought model by countless engineers around the world thereafter, the concept of a built tower to orbit saw its first description in modern terms in the 1970s by science fiction writer and inventor of the concept of the geosynchronous satellite Arthur C. Clarke, in his short novel The Fountains of Paradise. Inspiring the imaginations of many to follow, the concept was long regarded as impossible due to the limitations of any known materials. But, much as Clarke himself had predicted, the potential solution emerged in the realization of nanofabricated materials and the development of carbon nanofiber. Now regarded as a potentially imminent reality, at least two commercial companies now actively pursue the dev