the circumference of earth is 24k miles. a space elevator woiuld need to be up probably 22k-26k miles. i guess it depends if this wrap would follow a circumference line or a smaller one. nice problem to think about. thx.
Before you noodle too hard, I very well may be misremembering. It's a fair distance anyway though.
i was serious. it could wrap around the earth several times as long as it does not wrap around "straight" at a "equatorial" line. in what fashion would it wrap around? can someone elaborate? would a cable attached to a spinning sphere always wrap around an "equatorial" line? or could it also use other latitudes?
edit: i think you thought i was being sarcastic with the "nice problem to think about.thx" but i wasn´t. sorry for not making that clearer.
well 24.5 k miles at equator iirc.
top of elevator could connect to a solar array that is charging gold telsa batteries.
not sure how to stablize the shaft of the elevator the solar array would power a warehouse transfer station.