So, I have been trying to come up with ideas for space launch without rockets for this sci-if project, but then something occurred to me: rather than have craft jumping off and onto a planet’s surface, why not have them remain in orbit and instead have the *occupants* go up and down?

Here’s the idea: the ship contains a sealed landing-capsule or pod. This pod is attached to an incredibly long cable of carbon-nanotubes which is coiled up most of the time, and lowered down to a planet’s surface to pick up/drop off passengers. It basically functions as a portable space elevator. It will naturally take up a lot of space while coiled up, but since this ship spends its life in orbit, it can afford to be chunky.

Are there any major or unsolvable flaws with this design?