اعتمادًا على أهداف المهمة والارتفاع[4]، تم اعتبار نظريات رحلات الفضاء باستخدام هذا النوع من الدفع للمركبات الفضائية أقل تكلفة بكثير من رحلات الفضاء باستخدام محركات الصواريخ.[5]
^ Jillian Scharr, "Space Elevators On Hold At Least Until Stronger Materials Are Available, Experts Say", Huffington Post, May 29, 2013 "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-03-02. Retrieved 2014-04-06.
^"Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2010-11-26. Retrieved 2011-03-26. NASA Engineers, Tennessee College Students Successfully Demonstrate Catch Mechanism for Future Space Tether
^"Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2017-10-04. Retrieved 2017-11-01. Ultra Long Orbital WSEAS TRANSACTIONS on MATHEMATICS: Tethers Behave Highly Non-Keplerian and Unstable- Daniele Mortari
^ Joseph A. Carroll and John C. Oldson, “Tethers for Small Satellite Applications” Archived 2011-07-16 at the Wayback Machine, presented at the 1995 AIAA / USU Small Satellite Conference in Logan, Utah, United States (accessed 20 October 2010)
^ Ohkawa, Y.; Kawamoto, S.; Nishida, S. I.; Kitamura, S. (2009). "Research and Development of Electrodynamic Tethers for Space Debris Mitigation". Transactions of the Japan Society for Aeronautical and Space Sciences, Space Technology Japan. 7: Tr_T2_5 - Tr_2_10. Bibcode:2009TrSpT...7Tr2.5O. doi:10.2322/tstj.7.Tr_2_5.