Presented here with permission in its entirety is the paper Sir Arthur C. Clarke published in 1981 which inspired a generation of scientists and engineers.

"This paper is a semi-technical survey of the rapidly expanding literature of the subject, with some speculations about ultimate developments. Whether or not the Space elevator can be actually built, it is of great interest as the only known device which could replace the rocket as a means of escaping from the earth. If it is ever developed, it could make mass space travel no more expensive than any other mode of transportation."