Project Rho's pages have collected several wonders-of-the-world designed to end-run around Tsiolkovsky (that jerk). These wonders tend to run in the many of kilometres.
There's a lot of stuff we'd like to build here on Erfph but cannot. Partly that's energy cost. Energy is artificially high because of various Concerns raised by trolls - excuse me, by Concerned Scientists. (I acquired utter contempt for them when they came out against nuclear power.) What epic structures the Concernyfaced Concerners won't let us build here as could actually better our lives, I'm considering for Venus.
Not the geosync tower; that's obviously a nonstarter at Venus' sloowww rotation (and gentlemen prefer tethers). I'm more interested in Venus' surface. Here we're in luck: the surface in most places enjoys near free energy from the wind, and in some spots (lookin' at Maxwell's slope) a LOT of that wind. Katabasis ftw!
The laser-propulsion schemes seem like they would work best for vehicles already outside the atmosphere - like in orbit. Besides, hydrogen is gold at Venus. For this, let's start small(er). I wonder to what altitude superheated carbon-dioxide could fly a cargo. I'd line the nozzle with something that doesn't react with ionised oxygen; or something real cheap that we can discard and replace after it does. If a laser can kick a load from, say, Aphrodite Terra to cloud-level, or allow a surface-bound craft to slow down its fall: I'll declare that a win.
What jumps out most: the Space Fountain, and various magnetic railroads like Lofstrom's Launch-Loop [4/20/24 whereever we put it]. Maybe the Bifrost Bridge. UPDATE 9/23/21: As of 2002, the Lofster was sinking $10 billion to put stuff in the air at $300/kg; $30 billion, for $3/kg. In May 2020 Elon promised to beat $300/kg (in 2020 dollars), with Starship. I won't bore you with Elon's numbers, because I frankly don't believe them; but they will undercut Lofstrom's lowball. Which means the bidding starts at $30 billion 2002$USD.
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