A space elevator would be destroyed by micrometeorites. The material is at high tension, which amplifies impact damage.

One missile can easily destroy the tether.

The right way to get to space is air launch. We should design a ramjet Mach 5 air launch platform.
jaymaron.com/astronautics.html [jaymaron.com]

I think I've heard of this several years ago, yet nobody has even tried using it for building elevators. Even construction elevators to lift building materials up in skyrise construction. They should do that first to test its practicality.