Launch Site → Low Earth Orbit

Launch to 100 km

A single launch vehicle (e.g. Starship) delivers the spooled cable to a 100 km altitude circular orbit. The payload is the cable spool plus a deployment mechanism. At current projected pricing, this is the single largest cost in the entire bootstrap sequence.

Specifications

Payload mass~20 tonnes

Target altitude100 km

Launch vehicleStarship (or equivalent heavy lift)

Estimated launch cost~$2M (at ~$100/kg projected)

Orbit typeEquatorial circular

Open Questions

?100 km is below typical orbital altitude — atmospheric drag will deorbit the payload within days if not spun up quickly. What's the timeline constraint?
?Does the spool deploy from orbit, or does the launch vehicle unspool during ascent?
?What's the deployment mechanism? Spin-stabilized release? Spring-loaded?

Step 1: Manufacture the Rotor Cable Step 3: Deploy and Spin Up the Rotor