Is a space elevator a necessary step to Getting There From Here? Or is there some other eventual system that can put people and cargo into GEO safely, reliably, and cheaply (because until it gets down to the cost of a week on a cruise ship, space won't really be open to everyone)? I've thought about rail guns, and I'll post more on that later, but I'm not sure a rail gun will be that safe or reliable for live passengers. It would probably be fine for solid enough objects, but people might get mushy due to high acceleration.

Are there any experts out there on launch technologies who could provide feedback?