With news about a 3D printer winging its way to the International Space Station (ISS), now the next sci-fi mission is to construct a space elevator.

Japanese famous construction company Obayashi has unveiled its plans to build a 60,000-mile elevator to space by 2050, which could revolutionize space travel completely. According to the company, this space elevator will be designed to reach 96,000 km into space.

The elevators will operate safely and will cost a fraction of what it takes to travel by rocket-propelled space shuttles, which costs about $22,000 per kilogram to take cargo into space. However, with this system, it will only cost about $200 per kilogram.

According to the company, robotic cars powered by magnetic linear motors will carry people and cargo to yet-to-be-built space station in a journey of seven days. This transport system will be made possible with developments in carbon nanotechnology.

Mr. Yoji Ishikawa, a research and development manager at Obayashi, said, "The tensile strength is almost a hundred times stronger than steel cable so it's possible. Right now we can't make the cable long enough. We can only make 3 centimetre long nanotubes, but we need much more we think by 2030 we'll be able to do it".

According to a study conducted in 2012, space elevator mission is only possible if companies extend their co-operation globally. Mr. Yoji Ishikawa also mentions that this new sci-fi system cannot be developed by just one company as it certainly requires international assistance.

The company has listed universities all over Japan to contribute to the project. A team at Kanagawa University has been working on robotic cars or climbers. They are studying what mechanisms are needed in order to ascend at differing altitudes and the best brake system.