Space Elevator Competition Starts

Good luck to anything that may speed up the arrival of the what truely herald the beginning of the eploration and expliotation of space

SpaceDaily Website

The California-based Spaceward Foundation has launched a competition to bring technology and engineering to the design and construction of a space elevator.

The project, named "Elevator: 2010" will focus on innovations in fields that could open the way for payloads to be lifted into space by light-powered platforms.

Such platforms, also known as climbers, would move up and down super strong ribbons rising as high as 100,000 kilometers above Earth's surface.

The competition will be in three areas: Climber Competition, Tether Strength, and Power Beaming Competition. The first competition is tentatively scheduled for next June or July in the San Francisco Bay area.

The fastest-moving climber would earn its team a 50,000 US dollars prize, with a 20,000 US dollars second prize and a 10,000 US dollars third prize.

The strongest ribbon would win a 10,000 US dollars first prize, and the best power-beaming system could win 10,000 US dollars.

If space elevators could actually be built, the cost of sending payloads into space could be reduced from 10,000 US dollars per pound to 100 US dollars, opening up a revolutionary route to the final frontier.

for further info on space elevators

see Space Elevators Maybe Closer To Reality Than Imagined

also

I think this should really speed up the space elevator concept.

I like the fact that they have prizes for specific things, and not just said 10 million dollars for the first person/conpany that can build it.

I can tell they have thought allot about it and it will definatly pay off, I hope we actually have one some day.

That space elevator looks really kick ass.

I hope this idea takes off. This will really speed up space exploration. We need the growth. Instead of spending all this money on all these wars we should be exploring space.