Originally posted by Doc Velocity
Not physically possible. Assuming that we could ever build a tether massive enough and strong enough and somehow move it into position, linking these two incredibly massive spheres would create a bolo effect, interrupting the rotation of the Earth as well as the orbit of the Moon. This would probably shut down Earth's magnetosphere, first of all, exposing us to lethal solar radiation. As if that wasn't enough, the resulting gravitational tidal forces would probably rip both the Moon and Earth apart.

I mean, think about it... Just one link in such a chain would have to be about the size of the state of Alaska. You'd need hundreds of such links to reach the Moon. The raw materials and the technology for such a project simply don't exist (and never will). But, if you could build such a chain, the thing would probably have a mass similar to that of the Moon itself — so the chain would warp space, just as the Earth and Moon warp space, creating its own gravity well. All of these freakish gravitational tidal forces would end up destroying Earth, Moon, and your chain.

Couple of billion years later, the first aliens come cruising through this solar system, and they find this ring of rubble where the Earth and Moon used to be, as well as this gigantic chain tumbling among the debris. The aliens just look at each other and sadly shake their heads: "Poor bastards. They tried the Planetary Winch Experiment."


— Doc Velocity

[edit on 2/22/2009 by Doc Velocity]