Centennial Orbital Elevator

The Centennial Orbital Elevator was a space elevator constructed in Havana on the island of Cuba on Earth. By 2552, it was 200 years old and was considered antiquated. The elevator terminated at Station Wayward Rest, in geosynchronous orbit above the elevator, and was managed by the Centennial Orbital Elevator Control. The Centennial Orbital Elevator was called by the locals Tallo Negro del Maiz, translating ultimately into "stalk of black corn." This is because of its appearance, a line stretching from the ground into the clouds.

This, along with the Quito Space Tether, is one of two space elevators located in Latin America. The other's base was located in Quito, Ecuador, and appears to have been more fortunate than its Cuban cousin.

History
Given its name and age, it is probable that the elevator was constructed in commemoration of some event that occurred in the mid-2200s (most likely the start of development on the Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Engine, unveiled after years of research in 2291).

Covenant invasion
On November 3, 2552, around two weeks after the onset of the Battle of Earth, the COE was one of the five surviving heavy lifting orbital elevators on Earth. The elevator complex was taken over by Covenant Jiralhanae forces, who intended to use it to transport stolen FENRIS nuclear warheads into orbit. Contact with the elevator control was lost shortly after the Covenant attack. In response, the UNSC deployed several Marine squads and later the SPARTAN-II Blue Team to Havana with the mission to retake the elevator and secure the nukes.

After landing in the jungle near the elevator's warehouse complex, Blue Team destroyed a Covenant Scarab patrolling the vicinity of the elevator using an explosive fuel truck. The Spartans then killed the remaining Jiralhanae in the area, secured the nukes, entered an elevator car, and ascended up one of the tether's strands. The station and the elevator were destroyed when the Blue Team detonated six of the nuclear warheads aboard a Covenant destroyer in close proximity to Station Wayward Rest. The station was obliterated by the blast and the entire length of the COE crumpled and fell back to Earth.

Trivia

 * The Centennial Orbital Elevator is the only Earth space elevator not located on or near the equator.

List of appearances

 * Halo: Ghosts of Onyx