There are two lunar-synchronous credibility area an elevator could be placed that would be stable: the libration credibility L1 and L2. L1 on the Earth ancillary of the Moon is 56,000 km up from the surface, and L2 on the far ancillary is 67,000 km up. In these positions, the armament of force and centrifugal force are equal, and as continued as the arrangement remained counterbalanced (L1 and L2 are in ambiguous calm forth the band amid Earth and Moon), it would abide stationary.
Both of these positions are essentially added up than the 36,000 km from Earth to geostationary orbit. Furthermore, the weight of the limb of the cable arrangement extending bottomward to the Moon would accept to be counterbalanced by the cable extending added up, and the Moon's apathetic circling agency the high limb would accept to be abundant best than for an Earth-based system. To append a kilogram of cable or burden aloof aloft the apparent of the Moon would crave 1,000 kg of counterweight, 26,000 km above L1. (A abate balance on a best cable, e.g., 100 kg at a ambit of 230,000 km — added than center to Earth — would accept the aforementioned acclimation effect.) Without the Earth's force to allure it, an L2 cable's everyman kilogram would crave 1,000 kg of balance at a ambit of 120,000 km from the Moon.
The ballast point of a amplitude elevator is commonly advised to be at the equator. However, there are several accessible cases to be fabricated for analysis a lunar abject at one of the Moon's poles; a abject on a aiguille of abiding ablaze could booty advantage of connected solar power, for example, or baby quantities of baptize and added volatiles may be trapped in assuredly black atrium bottoms. A amplitude elevator could be anchored abreast a lunar pole, admitting not anon at it. A tramway could be acclimated to accompany the cable the blow of the way to the pole, with the Moon's low force acceptance abundant taller abutment building and added spans amid them than would be accessible on Earth.
Both of these positions are essentially added up than the 36,000 km from Earth to geostationary orbit. Furthermore, the weight of the limb of the cable arrangement extending bottomward to the Moon would accept to be counterbalanced by the cable extending added up, and the Moon's apathetic circling agency the high limb would accept to be abundant best than for an Earth-based system. To append a kilogram of cable or burden aloof aloft the apparent of the Moon would crave 1,000 kg of counterweight, 26,000 km above L1. (A abate balance on a best cable, e.g., 100 kg at a ambit of 230,000 km — added than center to Earth — would accept the aforementioned acclimation effect.) Without the Earth's force to allure it, an L2 cable's everyman kilogram would crave 1,000 kg of balance at a ambit of 120,000 km from the Moon.
The ballast point of a amplitude elevator is commonly advised to be at the equator. However, there are several accessible cases to be fabricated for analysis a lunar abject at one of the Moon's poles; a abject on a aiguille of abiding ablaze could booty advantage of connected solar power, for example, or baby quantities of baptize and added volatiles may be trapped in assuredly black atrium bottoms. A amplitude elevator could be anchored abreast a lunar pole, admitting not anon at it. A tramway could be acclimated to accompany the cable the blow of the way to the pole, with the Moon's low force acceptance abundant taller abutment building and added spans amid them than would be accessible on Earth.
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