Canadian company gets patent for 20km-high space elevator

Canadian space company, Thoth Technology, has been granted the US patent for a 20-kilometre-high space elevator.

The company CEO Caroline Roberts announced the news saying, "Landing on a barge at sea level is a great demonstration, but landing at 12 miles above sea level will make space flight more like taking a passenger jet."

Roberts also referred to SpaceX's tinkering with landing rockets so they can be used again. Reusable rockets would be a killer breakthrough and a moneymaker for Musk's crew. In reality, SpaceX and Thoth could easily work together, reports techcrunch.com.

The idea of a space elevator isn't new, with reports surfacing that Google was even working on its own headed up by Astro Teller and the X group.

If this thing ever gets built, the company proposes that people could be lifted about 12 miles above Earth. Would be a pretty cool joyride, too, no?

In addition to taking the elevator for funsies, large equipment could theoretically be pushed up to space at a much lower cost. Having a patent is one thing; actually building it is another.