Space elevator competitions

Last updated

A space elevator is a theoretical system using a super-strong ribbon going from the surface of the Earth to a point beyond Geosynchronous orbit. The center of gravity of the ribbon would be exactly in geosynchronous orbit, so that the ribbon would always stay above the anchor point. Vehicles would climb the ribbon powered by a beam of energy projected from the surface of the Earth. Building a space elevator requires materials and techniques that do not currently exist. A variety of Space Elevator competitions have been held in order to stimulate the development of such materials and techniques.

Contents

Space elevators were first conceived in 1895, but until the discovery of carbon nanotubes, no technology was envisioned that could make them possible. Building an actual elevator is still out of reach, but the directions for research are clear. This makes the area ripe for incentive prizes like the X Prize, and prizes and competitions have been set up since 2005 [1] to encourage the development of relevant technologies. There are two main areas of research remaining, and these are where the competitions focus: building cables ("a Tether challenge"), and climbing and descending cables ("a Power Beam challenge").

In a Power Beam Challenge, each team designs and builds a climber (a machine capable of traveling up and down a tether ribbon). In a Tether challenge, each team attempts to build the longest and strongest cable. In the Power Beam challenge climber carry a payload. Power is beamed from a transmitter to a receiver on the climber. With each competition, the tethers reach higher altitudes, and the climbers are expected to climb further. Each competition can have minimum lengths and maximum weight per meter for cables, and minimum speed and distance goals for climbers.

Space elevator challenge results

Like many competitions modeled after the X prize, competitors have to meet a minimum baseline, and then prizes are awarded to the best entry that exceed that target. In 2005, there was only a climbing challenge, and none of the entrants met the minimum speed requirement of 1 m/s. Starting in 2006, Elevator:2010, sponsored by spaceward.org [2] and NASA conducted a series of competitions. For 2006, the prize was increased, and the speed requirement dropped slightly to 50 meters in under a minute. 13 teams entered, and one was able to climb the 50 meters in 58 seconds. In 2009 at Edwards Air Force Base, the challenge was climbing a 900 m tether, and one entry managed the feat several times, with a top speed of 3.5 m/s. NASA didn't renew their sponsorship after 2009, [3] [4] pending "further advancements in material science".

The International Space Elevator Consortium was formed in 2008, [5] and has held annual conferences. They announced a $10,000 Strong Tether Challenge competition for 2013. The Challenge was canceled for lack of competitors. [6] The 2011, 2012, and 2013 ISEC conferences also featured FIRST-style High School robotics competitions for climbers. [7] [8] and occasional competitions.

The Japan Space Elevator Association held a climbing competition in August 2013. [9] Hot air balloons were used to hoist a tether, and Team Okusawa's entry [10] succeeded in climbing to 1100 meters, [11] and a team from Nihon University reached 1200 meters. (The sources are in Japanese.)

The Japan Space Elevator Association held a climbing competition in August 2014. [12] Hot air balloons were used to hoist both rope (11 mm) and ribbon (35 mm x 2 mm) to 200 m and 1200 m. Team Okusawa climbed to 1200 m and descended twice. Kanagawa University carried a 100 kg payload to 123 m on the 200 m ribbon. Kanagawa University's three teams climbed respectively to 1200 m (rope), 1150 m (rope) and 1100 m (ribbon). Munich University of Technology reached 1000 m (rope).

CompetitionTypePrizeTargetDateLocationEntriesWinner?RecordsComments
X Prize Cup [13] ClimberAug 2005NASA AMES, Mtn Vw, CA, USAno
TetherAug 2005NASA AMES, Mtn Vw, CA, USAnoCentaurus: 1300 Lbs (2 gr, 2 m)
2nd Annual X Prize Cup [14] Climber$200K50 m, 1 m/s (climb + descend)Oct 2006Las Cruces, NM, USA6 (USST, LiteWon, TurboCrawler, Climber 1, KC Space Pirates, Snowstar)noUSST: 1 m/s climbing10 cm ribbon, searchlights for power
Lander ???take off, hover, landOct 2006Las Cruces, NM, USAnoneno
Tether$200KMax Strength (min len 2 m, max wt 2 g)Oct 2006Las Cruces, NM, USA4 (UBC, Astroaraneae, Centaurus Aerospace, Bryan Laubscher)noAstroaraneae: 1335 Lbs (2 gr, 2m)
Space Elevator Games [15] Climber$500K100 m, 2 m/sOct 2007Salt Lake City, UT, USA(USST, KC Space Pirates, LaserMotive)noUSST: First laser powered climb; 1.8 m/s climbingFirst lasers for power
Tether$500KOct 2007Salt Lake City, UT, USAAstroaraneae, Delta x (MIT)noAstroaraneae: ???
2009 Space Elevator Challenge [16] Climber$1.1M 5 m/s $.9M 2 m/s900 m, 5 m/s or 2 m/sOct 2009NASA Dryden FRC, Edwards Air Force Base, California, U.S.6 (USST, KC Space Pirates, LaserMotive, Umich, McGill, NSS)yesLaserMotive won 900K for their climber, which reached speeds of 3.6 m/s [17]
Tether$2 MOct 2009NASA Dryden FRC, Edwards Air Force Base, California, U.S.noFirst carbon nanotube
JSETEC 2010 [18] [19] Climber300 mAug 2010Mt. Fuji, Shizuoka-ken, Japan15 teams (USST, Kanagawa U., Nihon U., Shizuoka U.) [20] yesKanagawa University was top finisher; USST reached 18.3 m/s (battery-powered) before crashing
2011 Strong Tether Centennial Challenge [21] Tether5 MYuris12 August 2011Redmond, WA, USAno
JSETEC 2011ClimberAug 2011Mt. Fuji, Shizuoka-ken, Japan16530 m in 39 s, 450 m in 27 s
EUSPEC 2011 [22] Climber25 mAug 2011TU Munich, Germany6yesEfficiency: 43.85%Either rope or belt tethers
JSETEC 2012Climber1200 mAug 2012Mt. Fuji, Shizuoka-ken, Japan16noNo one climbed 1200 mEither rope or belt tethers
EUSPEC 2012Climber50 mOct 2012TU Munich, Germany6yesEither rope or belt tethers
JSEA 2013Climber1200 mAug 2013Mt. Fuji, Shizuoka-ken, JapanOkusawa, [23] Nihon U1200 m
TechnoBrain 2014Climber10,000 NIS25 mJune 2014Technion, IsraelIshai Zimerman and Ronen Atzil [24] yesYuri Artsutanov, who developed the concept of the "space elevator", was the guest of honor and one of the judges of the competition
SPEC 2014Climber1200 m and 200 mAugust 2014JapanTeam Keio & Manten Project, Team Okuzawa, Kanagawa University Egami Ken, Technical University Munich [25] noTeam Okusawa climbed two round trips to 1200 m ; Kanagawa University climbed 123 m on the 200 m rope with a 100 kg payloadBoth rope (11 mm) and ribbons (35 mm x 2 mm) were available at each altitude, held aloft by balloons.
EUSPEC 2016Climber100 m and 50 mSeptember 2016GermanyAoki Lab (Nihon University); Last.minute (TUM); Space Group Hof (Schiller Gymnasium); Meier's Eleven (Gutenbergschule Wiesbaden); [26] Both rope (10 mm) and belt (30-40 mm x 2 mm) were available, held aloft by balloons.
BASPEC 2019Climber20 mSeptember 2019Germany, Hof a.d. SaaleChip-Chap; Insert Name; Schiller-Space Blocks; SGH-Space Team; Sky Runner; Viersteinyes

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Space elevator</span> Proposed type of space transportation system

A space elevator, also referred to as a space bridge, star ladder, and orbital lift, is a proposed type of planet-to-space transportation system, often depicted in science fiction. The main component would be a cable anchored to the surface and extending into space. An Earth-based space elevator cannot be constructed with a tall tower supported from below due to the immense weight—instead, it would consist of a cable with one end attached to the surface near the equator and the other end attached to a counterweight in space beyond geostationary orbit. The competing forces of gravity, which is stronger at the lower end, and the upward centrifugal force, which is stronger at the upper end, would result in the cable being held up, under tension, and stationary over a single position on Earth. With the tether deployed, climbers (crawlers) could repeatedly climb up and down the tether by mechanical means, releasing their cargo to and from orbit. The design would permit vehicles to travel directly between a planetary surface, such as the Earth's, and orbit, without the use of large rockets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ansari X Prize</span> Award

The Ansari X Prize was a space competition in which the X Prize Foundation offered a US$10,000,000 prize for the first non-government organization to launch a reusable crewed spacecraft into space twice within two weeks. It was modeled after early 20th-century aviation prizes, and aimed to spur development of low-cost spaceflight.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zylon</span> Chemical compound

Zylon (IUPAC name: poly(p-phenylene-2,6-benzobisoxazole)) is a trademarked name for a range of thermoset liquid-crystalline polyoxazole. This synthetic polymer material was invented and developed by SRI International in the 1980s and manufactured by Toyobo. In generic usage, the fiber is referred to as PBO.

The Centennial Challenges are NASA space competition inducement prize contests for non-government-funded technological achievements by American teams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lunar space elevator</span> Proposed transportation system

A lunar space elevator or lunar spacelift is a proposed transportation system for moving a mechanical climbing vehicle up and down a ribbon-shaped tethered cable that is set between the surface of the Moon "at the bottom" and a docking port suspended tens of thousands of kilometers above in space at the top.

LiftPort Group is a privately held Washington state corporation. It was founded in April 2003 by Michael J. Laine. The company is focused on the construction of a space elevator using carbon nanotubes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Human-powered helicopter</span> Helicopter powered solely by human activity

A human-powered helicopter (HPH) is a helicopter powered solely by one or more humans carried on board. As in other human-powered aircraft, the power is usually generated by pedalling. It remains a considerable engineering challenge to obtain both the power-to-weight ratio and rotor efficiency required to sustain a helicopter in flight.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">X Prize Cup</span>

The X Prize Cup is a two-day air and space exposition which was the result of a partnership between the X Prize Foundation and the State of New Mexico that began in 2004 when the Ansari X-Prize was held. This led to plans to build the world's first true rocket festival. Three X-Prize Cups have been held: in 2005, 2006 and 2007. Each X Prize Cup hosts different events and demonstrations, such as rocket-powered bicycles, rocket jet packs; but particularly notable are the Lunar Lander Challenge and the Space Elevator Games. 85,000 visitors attended the 2007 X Prize Cup. Although there was no X Prize Cup in 2009, there was a Lunar Lander Challenge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Space-based solar power</span> Concept of collecting solar power in outer space and distributing it to Earth

Space-based solar power is the concept of collecting solar power in outer space with solar power satellites (SPS) and distributing it to Earth. Its advantages include a higher collection of energy due to the lack of reflection and absorption by the atmosphere, the possibility of very little night, and a better ability to orient to face the sun. Space-based solar power systems convert sunlight to some other form of energy which can be transmitted through the atmosphere to receivers on the Earth's surface.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KC Space Pirates</span>

May 20, 2021 KC Space Pirates won one of 4 $50,000 second place prizes in phase 1 of NASA's Watts on the Moon Challenge.

A space competition is an inducement prize contest offering a prize to be given to the first competitor who demonstrates a space vehicle, or a space exploration apparatus, which meets a set of pre-established criteria. It spurs pioneering development in private spaceflight.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elevator:2010</span>

Elevator:2010 was an inducement prize contest with the purpose of developing space elevator and space elevator-related technologies. Elevator:2010 organized annual competitions for climbers, ribbons and power-beaming systems, and was operated by a partnership between Spaceward Foundation and the NASA Centennial Challenges.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Non-rocket spacelaunch</span> Concepts for launch into space

Non-rocket spacelaunch refers to theoretical concepts for launch into space where much of the speed and altitude needed to achieve orbit is provided by a propulsion technique that is not subject to the limits of the rocket equation. Although all space launches to date have been rockets, a number of alternatives to rockets have been proposed. In some systems, such as a combination launch system, skyhook, rocket sled launch, rockoon, or air launch, a portion of the total delta-v may be provided, either directly or indirectly, by using rocket propulsion.

There are risks associated with never-done-before technologies like the construction and operation of a space elevator. A space elevator would present a navigational hazard, both to aircraft and spacecraft. Aircraft could be dealt with by means of simple air-traffic control restrictions. Impacts by space objects such as meteoroids, satellites and micrometeorites pose a more difficult problem for construction and operation of a space elevator.

Three basic approaches for constructing a space elevator have been proposed: First, using in-space resources to manufacture the whole cable in space. Second, launching and deploying a first seed cable and successively reinforcing the seed cable by additional cables, transported by climbers. Third, spooling two cables down and then connecting the ends, forming a loop.

PowerLight Technologies is an American engineering firm providing power transmission via lasers. Its primary products are power-over-fiber which transmits energy in the form of laser light through an optic fiber, and "laser power beaming" in which the laser energy is transmitted through free space.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Space tether missions</span> Space technology using tethers

A number of space tethers have been deployed in space missions. Tether satellites can be used for various purposes including research into tether propulsion, tidal stabilisation and orbital plasma dynamics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Space tether</span> Type of tether

Space tethers are long cables which can be used for propulsion, momentum exchange, stabilization and attitude control, or maintaining the relative positions of the components of a large dispersed satellite/spacecraft sensor system. Depending on the mission objectives and altitude, spaceflight using this form of spacecraft propulsion is theorized to be significantly less expensive than spaceflight using rocket engines.

The Scientific Workgroup for Rocketry and Spaceflight (WARR) is a scientific workgroup situated at Technical University of Munich, composed mainly of its students. It was founded by students in 1962 with the goal to compensate for the lack of a chair for space technology at the university at the time. Since the establishment of such a chair in 1966, the group has conducted practical projects, starting with the first successful development and of a hybrid rocket in Germany. One rocket of this type was launched in 1972, another is on permanent display at Deutsches Museum. WARR has attained some public attention by for its projects in space elevator competitions, small satellites interstellar spaceflight concepts, and for winning all SpaceX Hyperloop pod competitions.

The Challenge: Final Reckoning is the thirty-second season of the MTV reality competition series The Challenge. This season featured alumni from The Real World, Road Rules, The Challenge, Are You the One?, the U.S. version of Big Brother, and the U.K. television shows Ex on the Beach and Geordie Shore, competing along with, for the first time, alumni from Bad Girls Club and Vanderpump Rules who appeared on the U.S. version of Ex on the Beach. The season premiered on July 10, 2018 on MTV.

References

  1. ↑ "Space Elevator Competitions". International Space Elevator Competition. Archived from the original on 11 October 2013. Retrieved 25 August 2013.
  2. ↑ "The Space Elevator Challenge". The Spaceward Foundation. Archived from the original on 6 June 2014. Retrieved 25 August 2013.
  3. ↑ "NASA, the Space Elevator Challenges and the Kansas City Space Pirates". SpaceElevatorBlog. Retrieved 25 August 2013.
  4. ↑ "Strong Tether Challenge". Archived from the original on 12 September 2010. Retrieved 25 August 2013.
  5. ↑ "Leading Players in the Space Elevator Movement Join Together to Form New International Consortium" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 May 2016. Retrieved 25 August 2013.
  6. ↑ "ISEC Space Elevator Conference".
  7. ↑ "2013 Space Elevator Conference". International Space Elevator Consortium. Retrieved 25 August 2013.
  8. ↑ "2013 Space Elevator Conference – Day 2". Space Elevator Blog. Retrieved 25 August 2013.
  9. ↑ "On the implementation results of the SPEC2013". Japan Space Elevator Association. Archived from the original on 17 October 2014. Retrieved 25 August 2013.
  10. ↑ "Orbital elevator group" . Retrieved 25 August 2013.
  11. ↑ "Team Okusawa 1,100 m elevation climber video". Japan Space Elevator Association. Archived from the original on 17 October 2014. Retrieved 25 August 2013.
  12. ↑ "On the implementation results of the SPEC2014". Japan Space Elevator Association. Archived from the original on 26 August 2014. Retrieved 25 November 2014.
  13. ↑ "2005 Power Beaming Archive". Archived from the original on 4 October 2013. Retrieved 25 August 2013.
  14. ↑ "Space Elevator Challenge Results" . Retrieved 25 August 2013.
  15. ↑ "2007 Power Beaming Archive". Archived from the original on 4 October 2013. Retrieved 25 August 2013.
  16. ↑ "2009 Power Beaming Archive". Archived from the original on 15 November 2013. Retrieved 25 August 2013.
  17. ↑ "LaserMotive finally wins NASA's Elevator:2010 Beam Power Challenge, climbs at 3.9 meters/second (video)". engadget.com. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
  18. ↑ "Results from Japan's 2010 JSETEC Competition". Space Elevator Blog. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
  19. ↑ "2010-08-12-JSETECH2010" (PDF). JSEA. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
  20. ↑ "Japan holds space elevator competition". Telegraph UK. Archived from the original on 12 August 2010. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
  21. ↑ "Strong Tether Challenge" . Retrieved 25 August 2013.
  22. ↑ "EuroSpaceward announces EuSEC – the first European Space Elevator Challenge!". The Space Elevator Blog. Retrieved 27 November 2013.
  23. ↑ "Team Okusawa 1100 m elevation climber video". JSEA. Archived from the original on 17 October 2014. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
  24. ↑ "Technobrain 2014: Screwdriver Power". Technion. 22 June 2014. Retrieved 25 November 2014.
  25. ↑ "SPEC 2014 results bulletin". JSEA. Archived from the original on 26 August 2014. Retrieved 23 August 2014.
  26. ↑ "Participating Teams". Archived from the original on 3 January 2017. Retrieved 2 January 2017.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.