Space Elevator

Space elevators are a means of travelling between space and the surface of a planet without the use of spacecraft, which were common in Human Space prior to the widespread adoption of orbital rings. They consist of an extremely long tether connected to a facility on a planet's equator on one end, and a counterweight space station beyond geostationary orbit on the other, with the structure's centre of mass being at geostationary orbit altitude. The tether is essentially being pulled away from the planet's surface at all times by the counterweight, but kept in place due to being connected to the planet's surface, and remaining straight due to its centre of mass being at geostationary orbit. Cable cars are run up and down the tether, allowing cargo and passengers to be brought to and from the planet's surface without the need for spacecraft.
Space elevators are simpler to construct than orbital rings, and as such are generally constructed early on in a planet's settlement by Humans. However, in the long term they are almost always replaced by orbital rings, one of which is capable of managing far larger amounts of traffic than even many space elevators. Space elevators are also a safety concern, as if the tether snaps, the bottom part of it will fall, wrapping around the planet and potentially causing significant destruction. Safety measures and the light weight of the tether's material mitigate this, but are not foolproof.