Orion Elevator Sporting Platform
The priority for business money might be in an Orion that can pull payload into space from an orbiting position, rather than any travelling. This would alter the dynamics of the orbiting industries. Investment can be made without the complications of forecasting successful interstellar travel.
one exciting implication is the potential of atmospheric re-entry surfing sport competitions. Many astronauts/sportsmen can be lifted at once (even in glass elevator). How would minimal a re-entry board be designed? Would it need retros? Could a space suit be enough protection for a bike re-entry system or would it need to be enclosed? Would a traditional glider re-entry or adapted surfing board be possible? Potentially a skilled sportsman could re-enter using just a specially designed surfboard, execute some great moves and apply retro-thrust descent technology.
Orion Elevator Sporting Platform continued
Nevertheless opening it up to competitive sports would be a possibility if an Orion Orbiting Crane could provide such lift capacity. That would bring design improvements. An Orion glass elevator could be run from anywhere in the world and not just near the equators, again changing space industry dynamics.
An Orion elevator would need some heavy tapered cabling and some type of new design to support or avoid cable weight pull before the detonation pull starts. To avoid attempting to support massive cable weights a new design is required: Orion Lift.