Alternative space elevator

The space elevator that Dr. Edwards describes will be fantastic but:
Some apparently brilliant people think we can't build the space elevator as Dr. Edwards envisions, so let's analyze some alternatives. Space rated tether may fall short of projections for CNT = carbon nano tube. Segments 3700 kilometers = 2200 miles long, 20 micrometers thick, 100,000 micrometers wide = two million square micrometers = 2 square millimeters = 0.02 square centimeters = 0.02 grams per cm length = two grams per meter of tether = 7,400,000 grams of CNT = 7.4 metric tons of CNT if the average density is one (same as water). This permits starting construction as soon as 1% of the required CNT = carbon nano tube is available, even if the CNT is slightly substandard. This can be launched from the space shuttle or several other existing launch systems. Coriolis effect will make it more horizontal than vertical but an ion engine pulling one end to an altitude of 4000 kilometers will make it approximately vertical in a few weeks. Gravity and centrifugal force help, but they are slow.
A half ton climber can start moving on the tether as soon as the first kilometer has been unwound off the reel. The climber can get its power from surface of Earth lasers just as Dr. Edwards plans, except the solar panel is a moving target. If problems occur at 4000 kilometers, we may have to rethink laser propulsion. Control of the climber should be temporarily from the space shuttle as it may be some help in unwinding the tether. The climber can start adding a thread before the tether reaches vertical. At 37 kilometers per hour, average, it will take 100 hours to add one re-enforcing thread. Hopefully improved models can lay thread faster. After the thread is in place the empty reel will be released making the climber lighter and faster. Fast start and direction reversals will be tested making transients of various kinds on the tether. A stretch transient will reflect back and forth between the ion engine and the climber with a period of one day, if the transient moves at an average speed of 308 kilometers per hour. Maximum resonance will be attempted to learn how to make, utilize and surpress transients. This tether should attempt to snatch a payload from Earth's upper atmosphere with a compression transient as this may be an alternative or supplement to a laser powered elevator. A lot of energy is stored in a transient on a 100,000 kilometer tether.
The climber needs to be tested at full power, in vacuum, in sunlight AND bathed in the energy from the Earth laser to be sure it will not overheat. Likely a large radiator will be necessary to dispose of waste heat.
Assuming the first segment looks good, ten are needed to GEO altitude, 27 to the far end = 100,000 kilometers altitude. The tether slows as each segment is added, until the tether is stationary (except for transients) with respect to the equator of Earth, before the last segment is added. This shorter segment is designed to be reliable in Earth's atmosphere. The weight of the last shorter segment pulls the entire tether downward slowly to the anchoring point on a sea platform. Ballast is enroute to the far end to stop the tether from falling toward Earth. A properly timed compression transient (20 day period) can help restore tension after the tether is attached to the at sea platform.

How do we get the horizontal tether to vertical? The space shuttle does an ohms burn to gain altitude, then another burn to circulize the orbit. I don't understand the details.
It will likely take years to add 26 segments, so the ion engine only needs to prevent tangling of the tether and keep the loose end in LEO so the segments can be added. Likely at some point more thrust than the ion engine can provide will be needed. We will want several inspection climbers on the tether with thread to install as weakened places in the tether are discovered. These climbers can also move portions of the tether slightly by changing direction.
When the tether is full length and approximately vertical, about 60% will be beyond GEO altitude (moving about twice orbital speed for an altitude of 100,000 kilometers) with a counter weight at 100,000 kilometers that balances the weight below Geo altitude. The tether can now be attached at the platform at sea. Now climbers will start about every other day up the tether adding thread to the lower segments, plus any other segments that appear to be weak. After the load of thread has been installed the climber can continue toward the far end inspecting for damage and other problems. The climber can also report each transient that passes. The climber may be able to get some added climbing speed from the transients and/or move downward briefly to absorb energy from a transient. It will be important to minimize faster transients while the thread is being added, I think.
Threads need to added to the outermost segments, so heavier climbers can reach the end and become part of the ballast. The portion beyond GEO will be under considerable tension, but the inner portion may go slack for up to two weeks before some compression type transients.
A climber will ditch it's empty reel only if that is likely to get the climber to the far end. It will occasionally be necessary to ditch a malfunctioned climber as passing is not practical (perhaps never) until the tether is nearly complete.
An occasional lightweight satellite can be taken to GEO orbit, by a somewhat bigger climber, before all the reinforcing threads have been installed, but this will interrupt installing threads on the portion of the tether below GEO altitude for a few days.
I think the space elevator will rarely be used for delivery to LEO as the tether speed is only about 1100 miles per hour (at LEO altitude) after the elevator tether is attached to the at sea platform. It may however be practical to release a satellite about 90% of the way to GEO altitude and allow it to gain speed as it drops toward Earth, then circulize the trajectory at the desired LEO altitude. I'm sure I have some errors, so please correct refute embellish and/or comment Neil