Recently a team of British scientists has embarked on the first step of creating a space elevator. Given a $4 million research reward from NASA, a research team at Cambridge University has produced the world’s strongest ribbon: a cylindrical strand of carbon that merges lightweight flexibility with astounding durability and embodies the potential to stretch immense distances. The innovation has been touted by the space scientists, who consider the technology to allow astronauts to travel into space via a cable thousands of miles long.

These scientists anticipate the breakthrough will revolutionize space travel. Such a space elevator could potentially offer limitless and inexpensive space travel. It would make everything from tourism to more provocative expeditions to Mars commercially viable. The idea was a good timing for NASA, which spends an estimated $500 million for every shuttle mission, together with the polluting 900 tons of rocket fuel.