# \[Interview\] How Close Are We To Building A Practical Skyhook

An episode of [Universe Today Podcast](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/794058155), 28 Aug 2025, 39 min.

Audio: https://c10.patreonusercontent.com/4/patreon-media/p/post/139665773/f9076dc3ca2e4b8493cfd38975c2a417/eyJhIjoxLCJpc19hdWRpbyI6MSwicCI6MX0%3D/1.mp3?token-hash=FApem-kDXliMRxRg_7VpAqCScyROKaljqCRSrAaJjdE%3D&token-time=1794441600

We definitely won't see a space elevator built in any foreseeable future. But there is a similar but much more practical approach – a skyhook. How close are we to creating one? Why is it useful? What challenges does it bring and when can we expect first practical demonstrations? Finding out in this interview. 👉 \[Interview+\] No YT ads https://www.patreon.com/universetoday 🟣 Guest: Dr. Markus Landgraf https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=vgra4_QAAAAJ 📜 A multi-stage orbital sky hook for exploration in the new space transportation era https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0094576525004485 • 00:00 Intro • 01:52 What is a skyhook • 24:52 Materials • 28:23 Possible practical tests • 30:30 Current obsessions • 36:59 Final thoughts 📺 VIDEO VERSION https://youtu.be/SvYvXk39wG8 📰 GUIDE TO SPACE Newsletter No ads. Subscribe for FREE: https://universetoday.com/newsletter 🎧 PODCASTS Universe Today: https://universetoday.fireside.fm/ Astronomy Cast: http://www.astronomycast.com/ 📩 CONTACT FRASER frasercain@gmail.com ⚖️ LICENSE Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) Support Universe Today Podcast

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