[JumpCrisscross]

> why you think that a 35000 km long cable falling in the ocean from space would cause any less damage to the planet than it falling down on solid ground

They’re not obviously wrong.

A lot of the cable is moving at escape and orbital velocities. Tensile strength is all that holds it together.

If, as the cable fails, you sever the parts above from below around escape velocity, you’ll significantly reduce the length of cable that will ever hit the surface.

[cfraenkel]

Orbital and escape velocities??? The elevator is sitting over a stationary spot... it's moving at earth's rotational velocity. Only the portion above the GEO anchor is moving at orbital velocity.

[LorenPechtel]

But it has altitude. The stuff that's low down doesn't have a lot of orbital velocity, blow the cable and it falls nearby. And the stuff far away has enough velocity that it goes into a very eccentric orbit rather than hitting the atmosphere.

Just because it's moving below circular orbital speed doesn't mean the periapsis is in the atmosphere.