If you could build a ladder tall enough

[tuffer]

Could you just climb into space? I know there is some ludicrous speed that rockets need to reach to escape the earths atmosphere but could you theoretically just climb through it on a very tall ladder?

[LordJammy]

Don't see why not. Probably need a space suit and a stop off for a fag on the way though.

[Funkycoldribena]

No,because there's no window sills in space.

[ApOrbital]

I would climb into someones ego on here and get inside their head as it looks big enough plenty of space.

[QuartzDad]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_elevator

[anonymous-user]

Nanotubes please!

[funkyrobot]

Imagine if you got all the way to the top and needed a st!

[funkyrobot]

Funkycoldribena said:

No,because there's no window sills in space.

The ISS must have some.

[thebraketester]

tuffer said:

Could you just climb into space? I know there is some ludicrous speed that rockets need to reach to escape the earths atmosphere but could you theoretically just climb through it on a very tall ladder?

Ignoring the fact the the ladders wouldn't be able to support their own weight. But providing that you could build them then why not?

[RobDickinson]

As you climb a ladder you would get free energy from the earth something rockets don't get

[briangriffin]

There's a website for these sorts of questions. Believe the bloke used to work for NASA. Not sure if your question has already been addressed but it's worth asking if it hasn't.

http://what-if.xkcd.com/archive/

[DragsterRR]

Be better if you sited the base of the ladder in australia though.
Then you would only have to climb down. Be much easier.

[98elise]

tuffer said:

Could you just climb into space? I know there is some ludicrous speed that rockets need to reach to escape the earths atmosphere but could you theoretically just climb through it on a very tall ladder?

Just to be pedantic, you don't actually need great speed to reach space. If you were to leave the ground at 1 mph and not stop you would reach space in a little over 60 hours.

[Funkycoldribena]

98elise said:

Just to be pedantic, you don't actually need great speed to reach space. If you were to leave the ground at 1 mph and not stop you would reach space in a little over 60 hours.

But where would you sleep?

[northwest monkey]

98elise said:

tuffer said:

Could you just climb into space? I know there is some ludicrous speed that rockets need to reach to escape the earths atmosphere but could you theoretically just climb through it on a very tall ladder?

Just to be pedantic, you don't actually need great speed to reach space. If you were to leave the ground at 1 mph and not stop you would reach space in a little over 60 hours.

Genuine question - why use rockets then & not planes?

[Pvapour]

Funkycoldribena said:

98elise said:

Just to be pedantic, you don't actually need great speed to reach space. If you were to leave the ground at 1 mph and not stop you would reach space in a little over 60 hours.

But where would you sleep?

Get the lunar cycle right and you could sleep in the crescent of the moon, maybe a bit of fishing for tea? You'd be a bit hungary after that kind of climb

[GroundEffect]

No material exists right now strong enough for the task; to 'officially' be in space you need to get to 100km - the Karman Line - and the centrifugal forces on the ladder would cause it to fail no matter what you made it out of.

Carbon nano-tubes appear to have the tensile strength required but they aren't exactly industrialised yet

[Andy RV]

northwest monkey said:

98elise said:

tuffer said:

Could you just climb into space? I know there is some ludicrous speed that rockets need to reach to escape the earths atmosphere but could you theoretically just climb through it on a very tall ladder?

Just to be pedantic, you don't actually need great speed to reach space. If you were to leave the ground at 1 mph and not stop you would reach space in a little over 60 hours.

Genuine question - why use rockets then & not planes?

Because the vast majority of aeroplane engines need air to operate.

[CorbynForTheBin]

Is the ladder on a conveyor belt?

[GroundEffect]

Andy RV said:

northwest monkey said:

98elise said:

tuffer said:

Could you just climb into space? I know there is some ludicrous speed that rockets need to reach to escape the earths atmosphere but could you theoretically just climb through it on a very tall ladder?

Just to be pedantic, you don't actually need great speed to reach space. If you were to leave the ground at 1 mph and not stop you would reach space in a little over 60 hours.

Genuine question - why use rockets then & not planes?

Because the vast majority of aeroplane engines need air to operate.

Escape Velocity (i.e. the speed an object needs from the surface to be able to 'break' clear of any orbit) is only relevant for ballastic objects such as bullets and shells. Any object that can provide constant thrust to move vertically could fly in to space...as long as it didn't need air