[DabAsteroid]

can you get a stable orbit that includes a single strong deflection in the direction of the earth?

You are referring to an eliptical orbit, right? The satellite in this elliptical orbit bounces against a space-elevator anchor at apogee, right?

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you could probably add energy from the tower

What tower? You never mentioned a tower.

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the car is not going to have much orbital velocity as it's not at a Geosynchronous altitude.

Indeed. So, what is the point of this too-short space-elevator?

[Retric]

Indeed. So, what is the point of this too-short space-elevator?

It's just the seed of an idea. But, I was wondering what the shortest useful length you could make a space elevator and getting out of the atmosphere seems to give you a lot of options.

[DabAsteroid]

Well, like you said, getting out of the atmosphere gives you the option of using a rail-gun (electronic catapult), but you could launch satellites from the roof a tall building, the same way. A 100-mile wide, 100-mile tall cylindrical building could have a circular track on top, or spiraling up to the top, that could perhaps be long enough to accelerate objects to orbital velocity.

[Retric]

Umm, yea that's what I call freaking huge but it could probably work.