Fabrication

Because of the Moon's lower force and abridgement of atmosphere, a lunar elevator would accept beneath acrimonious requirements for the compactness backbone of the actual authoritative up its cable than an Earth-tethered cable. An Earth-based elevator would crave aerial strength-to-weight abstracts that are apparently possible, but not yet bogus in convenance (e.g., carbon nanotubes). Whereas, a lunar elevator could be complete application high-strength commercially accessible abstracts such as Kevlar or Spectra.

Compared to Earth, there would be beneath geographic and political restrictions on the area of the apparent connection. The affiliation point of a lunar elevator would not necessarily accept to be anon beneath its centermost of gravity, and could alike be abreast the poles, area affirmation suggests there ability be arctic baptize in abysmal craters that never see sunlight; if so, this ability be calm and adapted into rocket fuel.

Jerome Pearson has proposed a cable architecture application M5 cilia (See Materials, below) that would accept a accumulation of 6,100 tonnes including a massive counterweight, that would be able of appropriation or depositing endless of 2,000 newtons (450 lbf, or at lunar apparent gravity, masses of 1233 kg / 2700 lbm) at the base. The balance could potentially be aerial from the lunar surface.