By . Victoria Woollaston . Gothic cathedrals, such as the Ulm Minster in Germany, pictured, with soaring spires are built with a low centre of gravity to keep them upright . Gothic cathedrals, with their soaring spires and structural beauty, were once pioneering architectural wonders - appearing to defy the laws of gravity. And now the principles of these awe-inspiring buildings could help build a stairway to the skies. Engineer Peter Debney has proposed a theory that borrows the methods by which cathedrals control their centre of gravity - by tapering at the top - and applied it to the concept of an elevator that take humans into space. The space elevator concept was first suggested by Russian scientist Konstantin Tsiolkovsky in 1895. In principle it sounds simple - extend a tether from the surface of Earth into space and travel along it. In practice, however, it’s difficult to construct. There are few materials strong enough, or that can be manufactured in sufficient quantities, to create a cable long enough to reach. Secondly, the tether would need to be anchored at a geostationary station, as well as attached to a  counterweight further out into space, to ensure it doesn’t break and keep the system balanced. When building any tall structure - from gothic cathedrals to skyscrapers, and eventually a space elevator - the sturdiness and balance comes from its centre of gravity. In humans, for example, the centre of gravity is around the stomach. The higher this centre is above the ground, the harder it is balance. However, if the centre of gravity is lowered, it becomes easier to balance and maintain a sturdy footing. Engineer Peter Debney proposes a system that uses these principles to create a space elevator. Firms could lower a cable from a satellite in geostationary orbit. A counterweight would balance the system, pictured. The cable would taper, to adjust the centre of mass and it would sit on the Equator, to minimise the gravitational pull . All tall buildings, from gothic cathedrals to skyscrapers, stay upright because their centre of gravity is as low as possible. The centre of gravity determines balance, for example. This graphic shows that by digging deep foundations, and securing them with piles of metal and a concrete raft, this centre is underground . This is the same theory that applies to all tall and 'super-tall' buildings. By creating strong, far-reaching foundations deep into the Earth, the centre of gravity is shifted from above the ground, to below it. Structural engineer Peter Debney, from Arup explained to the MailOnline: ‘The gravity we experience here on the Earth's surface is the result of two components. ‘The first is our distance from the centre of the Earth, that is, the Earth's centre of gravity. ‘As the Earth is not actually a sphere, the spin of the Earth causes there to be more material at the Equator and less at the poles, this means the Equatorial radius is higher than the Polar one. 'Thus the force of gravity is least at the Equator and maximum at the North and South Poles.’ In addition to that, Debney explained that because the Earth is spinning, there is a centrifugal force acting on everything, which is maximum at the Equator and zero at the poles. Engineer Peter Debney proposes a system that uses the principles from gothic cathedral and skyscraper architecture to create a space elevator. He claims firms could lower a cable from a satellite that is say in geostationary orbit above the Earth. A counterweight, such as a suitably-sized asteroid, would be used at the other end of the cable to balance the system. The cable would need to be made of graphene, or carbon nanotubes, because these materials are capable of holding heavier loads and bearing their own weight more effectively. By anchoring the cable at the Equator, the gravitational acceleration on the system would be at a minimum. The elevator itself would then extend from low to high Earth orbit, and would be kept taught by tidal forces. The cable would taper, to adjust the centre of mass, but from the top down, rather than the bottom up, as seen in pyramids and spires. ‘Combine these two effects together and the effective gravitational acceleration is least at the Equator, and maximum at the poles.’ He continued: ‘If the centrifugal force from the Earth's rotation offsets the force of gravity; what happens when you get higher up a tall building? ‘The first effect is that gravity is reduced as you are now further from the centre of gravity, and the second is that centrifugal force increases. ‘There will, therefore, come a point when the centrifugal force exactly cancels out gravity. 'If you are on the Equator, this occurs at a height of approximately 18,000 km. ‘This height is commonly known as the geostationary orbit, because if you position a satellite at this altitude over the equator and give it the right velocity, it will orbit within a 24-hour period, and remain over a fixed point on the Earth.’ Debney said the solution is to place a satellite in geostationary orbit, and lower a cable from it to the ground. But, he continued, as soon as the cable lowers, it changes the centre of gravity of the satellite, placing it at a lower orbit and causing it to move relative to the ground. To keep the whole thing in orbit, Debney added a cable would then also need to be extended up at the same time, to keep the system balanced. Because this would make a nonlinear system, the cable would need to extend out almost twice as far as it is brought down. The alternative is to use a counterweight, such as a suitably sized asteroid, beyond geostationary to balance the cable and save the excessive length. The cable would also need to made of a material that can hold its own weight at such heavy loads, such as graphene or carbon nanotubes. In 2012, Tokyo-based company Obayashi Corporation announced plans to build an operational space elevator by 2050, concept image pictured. It uses similar technology proposed by Debney, and seen in supertall buildings . The same principle applies to buoys, pictured. The taller they are, the stronger the counterweight needs to be to keep it afloat. Both buoys, and spires on churches, taper towards the top to reduce the load on the materials beneath it, more evenly distribute the weight, and reduce the wind resistance . Although the lift would cause the weight to distribute, the cable would be able to maintain being top heavy, in the same way Seattle's Space Needle, pictured, does, due to the lower centre of gravity . Graphene has a breaking length of 3,568 km, but because breaking length assumes a constant force of gravity, and at that altitude the force is lower, this allows for extra length. Debney continued that the space elevator cable will instead need to be a ribbon that tapers. Just as the pyramids and spires of a cathedral taper towards the top to support the weight efficiently - the cable would need to taper towards the ground. ‘It is almost certain that early versions of the space elevator will not reach the ground but instead extend from low to high Earth orbit,’ said Debney. ‘These will be kept taught by the tidal forces induced by the two ends orbiting at different altitudes: low orbits move at a higher angular velocity than high orbits. ‘Curiously, despite the high orbits having a lower angular velocity, they have a higher tangential velocity, which means that if you want to go round the Earth slower you need to speed up.’ The accidental damage risks of installing a space elevator include space debris and micrometeorites, but the width of the ribbon cable, according to Debney, would minimise the risk from these impacts. The risk from the falling cable is less than might be considered, too, as the ribbon would be 'both light and have a reasonable air resistance'. Any cable falling from this height should burn up before reaching the ground and studies have shown that the whiplash effect experienced by upper parts of the cable are likely to snap sections and put them into orbit for recovery later. In 2012, Tokyo-based company Obayashi Corporation announced plans to build an operational space elevator by 2050.
Cathedrals and skyscrapers stay upright by lowering their centre of gravity .
They do this by placing the centre underground, counteract the height .
A space elevator would use a similar principle using an anchor at Earth's Equator, with a counterweight in space to keep it balanced .
The cable would taper, similar to how spires do, to increase load-bearing .
These logistics have been proposed by structural engineer Peter Debney .
Using similar techniques, a Japanese firm plans to launch a space elevator by 2050 .
By . Victoria Woollaston . Gothic cathedrals, such as the Ulm Minster in Germany, pictured, with soaring spires are built with a low centre of gravity to keep them upright . Gothic cathedrals, with their soaring spires and structural beauty, were once pioneering architectural wonders - appearing to defy the laws of gravity. And now the principles of these awe-inspiring buildings could help build a stairway to the skies. Engineer Peter Debney has proposed a theory that borrows the methods by which cathedrals control their centre of gravity - by tapering at the top - and applied it to the concept of an elevator that take humans into space. The space elevator concept was first suggested by Russian scientist Konstantin Tsiolkovsky in 1895. In principle it sounds simple - extend a tether from the surface of Earth into space and travel along it. In practice, however, it’s difficult to construct. There are few materials strong enough, or that can be manufactured in sufficient quantities, to create a cable long enough to reach. Secondly, the tether would need to be anchored at a geostationary station, as well as attached to a counterweight further out into space, to ensure it doesn’t break and keep the system balanced. When building any tall structure - from gothic cathedrals to skyscrapers, and eventually a space elevator - the sturdiness and balance comes from its centre of gravity. In humans, for example, the centre of gravity is around the stomach. The higher this centre is above the ground, the harder it is balance. However, if the centre of gravity is lowered, it becomes easier to balance and maintain a sturdy footing. Engineer Peter Debney proposes a system that uses these principles to create a space elevator. Firms could lower a cable from a satellite in geostationary orbit. A counterweight would balance the system, pictured. The cable would taper, to adjust the centre of mass and it would sit on the Equator, to minimise the gravitational pull . All tall buildings, from gothic cathedrals to skyscrapers, stay upright because their centre of gravity is as low as possible. The centre of gravity determines balance, for example. This graphic shows that by digging deep foundations, and securing them with piles of metal and a concrete raft, this centre is underground . This is the same theory that applies to all tall and 'super-tall' buildings. By creating strong, far-reaching foundations deep into the Earth, the centre of gravity is shifted from above the ground, to below it. Structural engineer Peter Debney, from Arup explained to the MailOnline: ‘The gravity we experience here on the Earth's surface is the result of two components. ‘The first is our distance from the centre of the Earth, that is, the Earth's centre of gravity. ‘As the Earth is not actually a sphere, the spin of the Earth causes there to be more material at the Equator and less at the poles, this means the Equatorial radius is higher than the Polar one. 'Thus the force of gravity is least at the Equator and maximum at the North and South Poles.’ In addition to that, Debney explained that because the Earth is spinning, there is a centrifugal force acting on everything, which is maximum at the Equator and zero at the poles. Engineer Peter Debney proposes a system that uses the principles from gothic cathedral and skyscraper architecture to create a space elevator. He claims firms could lower a cable from a satellite that is say in geostationary orbit above the Earth. A counterweight, such as a suitably-sized asteroid, would be used at the other end of the cable to balance the system. The cable would need to be made of graphene, or carbon nanotubes, because these materials are capable of holding heavier loads and bearing their own weight more effectively. By anchoring the cable at the Equator, the gravitational acceleration on the system would be at a minimum. The elevator itself would then extend from low to high Earth orbit, and would be kept taught by tidal forces. The cable would taper, to adjust the centre of mass, but from the top down, rather than the bottom up, as seen in pyramids and spires. ‘Combine these two effects together and the effective gravitational acceleration is least at the Equator, and maximum at the poles.’ He continued: ‘If the centrifugal force from the Earth's rotation offsets the force of gravity; what happens when you get higher up a tall building? ‘The first effect is that gravity is reduced as you are now further from the centre of gravity, and the second is that centrifugal force increases. ‘There will, therefore, come a point when the centrifugal force exactly cancels out gravity. 'If you are on the Equator, this occurs at a height of approximately 18,000 km. ‘This height is commonly known as the geostationary orbit, because if you position a satellite at this altitude over the equator and give it the right velocity, it will orbit within a 24-hour period, and remain over a fixed point on the Earth.’ Debney said the solution is to place a satellite in geostationary orbit, and lower a cable from it to the ground. But, he continued, as soon as the cable lowers, it changes the centre of gravity of the satellite, placing it at a lower orbit and causing it to move relative to the ground. To keep the whole thing in orbit, Debney added a cable would then also need to be extended up at the same time, to keep the system balanced. Because this would make a nonlinear system, the cable would need to extend out almost twice as far as it is brought down. The alternative is to use a counterweight, such as a suitably sized asteroid, beyond geostationary to balance the cable and save the excessive length. The cable would also need to made of a material that can hold its own weight at such heavy loads, such as graphene or carbon nanotubes. In 2012, Tokyo-based company Obayashi Corporation announced plans to build an operational space elevator by 2050, concept image pictured. It uses similar technology proposed by Debney, and seen in supertall buildings . The same principle applies to buoys, pictured. The taller they are, the stronger the counterweight needs to be to keep it afloat. Both buoys, and spires on churches, taper towards the top to reduce the load on the materials beneath it, more evenly distribute the weight, and reduce the wind resistance . Although the lift would cause the weight to distribute, the cable would be able to maintain being top heavy, in the same way Seattle's Space Needle, pictured, does, due to the lower centre of gravity . Graphene has a breaking length of 3,568 km, but because breaking length assumes a constant force of gravity, and at that altitude the force is lower, this allows for extra length. Debney continued that the space elevator cable will instead need to be a ribbon that tapers. Just as the pyramids and spires of a cathedral taper towards the top to support the weight efficiently - the cable would need to taper towards the ground. ‘It is almost certain that early versions of the space elevator will not reach the ground but instead extend from low to high Earth orbit,’ said Debney. ‘These will be kept taught by the tidal forces induced by the two ends orbiting at different altitudes: low orbits move at a higher angular velocity than high orbits. ‘Curiously, despite the high orbits having a lower angular velocity, they have a higher tangential velocity, which means that if you want to go round the Earth slower you need to speed up.’ The accidental damage risks of installing a space elevator include space debris and micrometeorites, but the width of the ribbon cable, according to Debney, would minimise the risk from these impacts. The risk from the falling cable is less than might be considered, too, as the ribbon would be 'both light and have a reasonable air resistance'. Any cable falling from this height should burn up before reaching the ground and studies have shown that the whiplash effect experienced by upper parts of the cable are likely to snap sections and put them into orbit for recovery later. In 2012, Tokyo-based company Obayashi Corporation announced plans to build an operational space elevator by 2050.
gravity to keep them upright . Gothic cathedrals, with their soaring spires and structural beauty, principles to create a space elevator. Firms to skyscrapers, stay upright because their centre ground, to below it. Structural engineer Peter tidal forces. The cable would taper, to adjust centre of gravity of the satellite, placing it at alternative is to use a counterweight, such as a announced plans to build an operational space similar technology proposed by Debney, and seen in supertall buildings . The same principle elevator by 2050.