Mombasa Tether

"The Mombasa Space Elevator."

Marine #5 (COM): "It collapsed when the city got glassed."

Female Marine #1 (COM): "But the tower was thousands of kilometers high."

Marine #5 (COM): "Yeah. Well now it's scattered all over the Savannah."

Female Marine #1 (COM) (Astonished whisper): "Holy crap!"

The New Mombasa Orbital Elevator is a massive Space Elevator located at the center of the city of New Mombasa on Earth. The elevator, which is the focal point for the city, stretches far into the planet's orbit. It is used for lifting heavy ordinance into the atmosphere of the planet using a pulley system that negates the use of rockets or waste of fuel to generate an escape velocity for materials.

In 2552, when the city was attacked by the Covenant during The First Battle of Earth, the Assault Carrier commanded by the High Prophet of Regret landed troops around the elevator. Eventually Regret had to retreat because the UNSC were pushing the Covenant back. He ordered his Assault Carrier to jump through slipspace to a random location. As a result the shockwave from the jump destroyed the orbital elevator and along with the city of New Mombasa. The remains of the elevator scattered all over the area by Tsavo Highway and the Portal

Trivia

 * It can be seen throughout the levels Outskirts and Metropolis.
 * The third mission of Halo 3, Tsavo Highway, features the remains of the Space Elevator now scattered across the African plains.
 * It is close in description to a space elevator in Arthur C. Clarke's book Fountains of Heaven.