A space elevator is a conceptual structure that could carry things from Earth into space on a fixed track or cable. It has been proposed as a much cheaper method of traveling to and from the Moon.
In this comic, we see a hypothetical grand opening for a space elevator that utilizes tether propulsion, a system involving a very long, strong cable to propel a space craft rather than a rocket engine.
The joke here is that at a traditional “grand opening” a ribbon of some sort is cut to symbolize the opening, except in this case someone has cut the elevator’s tether rather than a ribbon. This would completely destroy the elevator, thus invalidating the grand opening.
The curse-word “fuck” is also used in the punch-line to add some more humor.
