Editing Space elevator (section)

===Economics===
{{Main|Space elevator economics}}
With a space elevator, materials might be sent into orbit at a fraction of the current cost. As of 2022, conventional rocket designs cost about US$12,125 per [[kilogram]] (US$5,500 per [[Pound (mass)|pound]]) for transfer to geostationary orbit.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.spacex.com/rideshare/#:~:text=%24275k%20for%2050kg%20to,LEO%2C%20GTO%2C%20and%20TLI.|title=Smallsat Rideshare Program|date=1 March 2022|work=SpaceX|access-date=1 May 2023}}</ref> Current space elevator proposals envision payload prices starting as low as $220 per kilogram ($100 per [[Pound (mass)|pound]]),<ref>{{cite web |author=The Spaceward Foundation |title=The Space Elevator FAQ |url=http://www.spaceward.org/elevator-faq |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090227115101/http://www.spaceward.org/elevator-faq |archive-date=27 February 2009 |access-date=3 June 2009 |location=Mountain View, California}}</ref> similar to the $5–$300/kg estimates of the [[Launch loop]], but higher than the $310/ton to 500&nbsp;km orbit quoted to Dr. [[Jerry Pournelle]] for an orbital airship system.<ref>{{cite web |first=Jerry |last=Pournelle |date=23 April 2003 |url=http://www.jerrypournelle.com/archives2/archives2view/view306.html#Friday |title=Friday's VIEW post from the 2004 Space Access Conference |access-date=1 January 2010}}</ref>

Philip Ragan, co-author of the book ''Leaving the Planet by Space Elevator'', states that "The first country to deploy a space elevator will have a 95 percent cost advantage and could potentially control all space activities."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.news.com.au/news/race-to-build-worlds-first-space-elevator/story-fna7dq6e-1111118059040 |title=Race on to build world's first space elevator |date=17 November 2008|work=news.com.au|first=Andrew |last=Ramadge|author2=Schneider, Kate|access-date=January 14, 2016|url-status=dead|archive-date=13 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150913204538/http://www.news.com.au/news/race-to-build-worlds-first-space-elevator/story-fna7dq6e-1111118059040}}</ref>