Elevator Games aim high

Posted: Thursday, July 26, 2007 3:06 PM by Alan Boyle

The million-dollar Space Elevator Games, scheduled for Oct. 19-21 in Utah, is due to hit new heights this year, in more ways than one. Last year, the total purse was $400,000 - and one of the teams came oh-so-close to winning a prize. This year, NASA's Centennial Challenge program has more than doubled the money being offered ... more teams are getting more serious about chasing those bigger prizes ... the speed and height requirements have been doubled as well ... and a kid-friendly competition has been added to the games.

The Space Elevator Games' marquee event is the Beam Power Challenge, in which clattering contraptions covered with photoelectric cells compete to climb up a long ribbon. The idea is that this technology will be required if anyone ever were to build a real space elevator to send robotic climbers up tens of thousands of miles, to orbital heights. But beam-power systems could have other, less ambitious applications as well - for example, laser-powered spaceships or rovers - and that's why NASA is putting up the $500,000 prize money.

The same goes for the second NASA-backed event: the Tether Challenge. This competition rewards folks who come up with stronger ribbon materials - perhaps carbon nanotube fabrics that could be used in those future space elevators, or in the next generation of lightweight composites.

This is the third year for the Space Elevator Games - which were conducted in California in 2005, and in conjunction with the X Prize Cup in New Mexico last year. In each of last year's challenges, one team stood out from the crowd but didn't end up in the winner's circle. For the robo-climbers, it was the University of Saskatchewan for the robo-climbers; for the tethers, the standout was Astroaraneae.

This year, the two favorites will be back, joined by 20 other registered teams.

Some of the teams already are deeply into testing their rigs, said Ben Shelef, chief executive officer of the California-based Spaceward Foundation, which is managing the games on NASA's behalf. "From what we've seen of the teams so far, we're looking forward to an exciting race to the finish this year," Shelef said in a news release issued Wednesday.

Ted Semon, a spokesman for Spaceward as well as the proprietor of the Space Elevator Blog, said this year's competitions at the Davis County Event Center outside Salt Lake City could mark a major milestone for the games.

"We've got a pretty good shot at awarding some money this year," Semon told me today.

It will take much more than last year's best effort to win the prize, however: The beam-powered climbers must rise an average of 2 meters per second for 50 seconds, compared with last year's 1-meter-per-second requirement. The test tethers will have to take at least 50 percent more stress than a "house tether" that represents the state of the art.

If there's one winner in a competition, the successful team gets the full $500,000 for that particular contest. But if multiple teams make the final cut, the performances will be ranked, and the purse will be divvied up among up to three teams.

NASA's Centennial Challenges program paid its first prize money earlier this year, in the $200,000 Astronaut Glove Challenge, and program manager Ken Davidian said he's looking forward to awarding another check.

"I am excited and impressed with the evolution and level of technical maturity demonstrated by the teams in both the Tether and Beam Power Challenges," he said in the news release. "Over the past 24 months, individual teams started from scratch, have grown continually, have coalesced into communities and are on the verge of accomplishing substantial achievements worthy of a Centennial Challenges prize."

Spaceward Foundation

The "Light Racers" contest is a drag race
for beam-powered model cars.

But wait ... there's more: This year Spaceward is adding a "Light Racers" contest that will be within the price range of kids as well as grown-ups. Competitors will have to build remote-control cars that get their power via a spotlight and photoelectric cells. The cars that set the best times on a 100-foot drag-racing course could earn prizes of up to $500.

Spaceward hopes that schools will take on the "Light Racers" challenge for classroom projects. "We are thrilled to have added an educational component where kids can take part in the competition," Spaceward's president, Meekk Shelef, said in the news release. "Reaching out to the scientists and engineers of the future is the most important thing we do."

Will all this tinkering really lead to a real space elevator? Even if it doesn't, NASA says the innovations that result will push the frontiers of earthly technology and space exploration. But Bradley Edwards, one of the pioneers of the space elevator concept and a Spaceward adviser, says the games are definitely on the right track:

"The Space Elevator Games, with their emphasis on strong tethers and power beaming, represent the road to building the space elevator," he said in the news release. "We hope their cumulative effort on the engineering community will enable further effort in this direction."

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Comments

This will never work.

john doe, thomasville, CA (Sent Thursday, July 26, 2007 5:59 PM)

Are you kidding, of course this will work. I think it's funny when people with no imagination and little understanding of science make these claims of "this will never work"....

one with imagination, Irvine ca (Sent Thursday, July 26, 2007 8:30 PM)

The only thing that I question is tether strength. Everything else is engineering within the realm of what is possible. Tethers with sufficient strength simply MAY not be possible. Everything else is just the details. Only time will tell.

Keith, Knoxville, TN (Sent Thursday, July 26, 2007 10:00 PM)

It worked last year and the year before that, and many university teams are working hard to make it work again this year. And best of all, they are so dedicated that they know it will absolutely work next year, and if not, then the year after that! NASA should make the prize a lot more and concentrate it on university, high school and elementary school projects - that's where new ideas are conceived.

Des Emery, St. Thomas, ON, Canada (Sent Thursday, July 26, 2007 10:24 PM)

I would never accuse someone named 'John Doe' of being unimaginative.

However, Mr. Doe, in the case that you are as benighted as your comment, might I suggest attending the X Cup this year. Your imagination is sure to be stimulated by the work that will be showcased there.

:)

Andy Motherway (Sent Thursday, July 26, 2007 11:16 PM)

I suggest that "John Doe" visit a used bookstore and pick up a copy of "The Fountains of Paradise" - it's a 1979 SF novel by Arthur C. Clarke. Set in the 22nd century, it describes the construction of a space elevator.

Remember - SF is a predictor of the future.

The PC, the PDA, the hybrid car, television, satelite TV, videoconferencing, LEDs, and more (including GPS) were all invented by various SF writers.

I'm not going to bet against a space elevator.
All that is missing from the reality is a strong enough material.

Mikey (Sent Friday, July 27, 2007 2:25 AM)

Tether strength is a matter of WHEN, not IF. It's only a matter of time.

Dennis, Richmond Virginia (Sent Friday, July 27, 2007 8:49 AM)

The beauty of all this is people are trying to build amazing things, using their imaginations to create new ideas which in turn will develop into new processes and new technologies. And if it doesn't work? So what? I'm happy people are pushing the envelope......

Andy G (Sent Friday, July 27, 2007 10:38 AM)

"This will never work."

Do you really need us to post the obligatory list of things happening everyday that people used to think could never work?

Powered flight
Flight beyond the sound barrier
Space travel
Nuclear energy
Lap top computers
Mobil phones
Synthetic diamonds
Cloned livestock

Can we stop here, or do you need more?

Patrick (Sent Friday, July 27, 2007 11:17 AM)

Of course it will work. One thing we learn in science on a daily basis is that anything and everything is possible. It is naive to think that because we lack the knowledge to do something today, that we will never acquire the knowledge to do it tomorrow. People are learning new things everyday in the fields of science. It is the same argument people use against space travel--the distances are too great and the amount of energy required too large. It is extremely arrogant and egocentric to think we can't do something. You are basically saying the human race has acquired all the knowledge it will ever acquire. Just because we can't do it today doesn't mean we can't do it tomorrow.

Reg, 29 Palms Ca (Sent Friday, July 27, 2007 11:51 AM)

I guess Mr. Doe would have been one that would have been willing to close down the U.S. Patent office around 1900 when someone thought that everything that could have been made was. We need to reach for the stars and bring the ideas that get us there back to Earth. If we can make them work there, then those ideas will work here.

S. B. Stein E.B. NJ (Sent Friday, July 27, 2007 12:35 PM)

It's gonna be hard to get a tether to 'stand up' from ground level (like the 'Indian Rope Trick'), allowing a robotic climber to zip up (currently, they are using a crane to hold the top end of the 'ribbon') ... it'd be much easier if the 'ribbon' was LOWERED from something in LEO (Low Earth Orbit) - it'd then act like the 'bucket on a string'. Many scientists (including the venerable Arthur C. Clarke) have written extensively on this subject. Can it work? Yes. Will it take more research and effort and money first? Also yes.
This is one of those things that would really help humans as a species (cheap access to space!), but will take time, effort, and money.
I say - go for it!

Gary, FL (Sent Friday, July 27, 2007 12:40 PM)

Certainly it can work. But will it ever be practical?

Mike, Anchorage, AK (Sent Friday, July 27, 2007 2:37 PM)

ok, if the elevator is gonna operate on a litght from earth, how is it gonna reach the elevator when it gets too high?

cool joe, coolievill (Sent Friday, July 27, 2007 2:50 PM)

50 years ago space stations couldn't work either, now they do. Everything will work eventually, technology just has to catch up to our imagination. Good luck to all of the teams participating this year!!

Lu, NY, ny (Sent Friday, July 27, 2007 2:58 PM)

Tether strength is possible using carbon molecules - nanotubes, I think. When and if it's possible to mass-produce those, we might have something.

Steve (Sent Friday, July 27, 2007 3:05 PM)

The space elevator may have realistic applications for low gravity planetoids and moons without atmospheres.

The material requirements and effects of weather on any Earth size plant make the whole idea ridiculous.

Wayne, TN (Sent Friday, July 27, 2007 4:12 PM)

Eventually they will succeed. As a side note to this, pulling a long electrical cable to orbit would provide quite a power supply for us. I am shocked that this isn't even mentioned as a way to power the future with clean energy. When NASA performed an experiment in orbit with a power tether, it generated so much energy that it melted the cable and broke. Regulating that much power will be tough though. Coming soon to a power plant near you... A cable to space that can power several large cities and more.... Hmmm... It just occurred to me that that would be a great way to power the beam riding robots. Tether to orbit with a built in power cable and all their energy needs are met in one operation... Cool!

Rocky Hurley, Asheboro, NC (Sent Friday, July 27, 2007 4:27 PM)

I would bet a million dollars (of Bill Gate's money) that there will be a space elevator within 20 years, maybe less...these competitions are a great way to do it, too, probably the best way to get real scientific innovation. The kid's component is great too, I woulda loved something like this when I was a kid. Back then it would have been the "LED Calculator" challenge though.

Joe C (Sent Friday, July 27, 2007 4:50 PM)

Ha! Many folks doubted the ability to fly not much more than 100 years ago. I think anyone who doubts the ability for science fiction to become science fact has little faith in Humanity. Me? I have great faith in Human ingenuity. You go kids. Make it so!

Steve Villanueva (Sent Friday, July 27, 2007 5:08 PM)

You have to do the engineering and math to know if it will work. Wishful thinking for hand waving doesn't mean anything.

The tether has to be strong enough to support its own weight. So even if it is very thin at the bottom, it has to be very thick at the top. You're talking about a structure that might have to contain hundreds of cubic miles of material. It ain't going to happen soon.

Don (Sent Sunday, July 29, 2007 1:29 AM)

Micrometeorites and space junk would shred any tether placed in space. A tether can't be moved as easily as the space station to avoid all that junk. Even the space station just had shielding increased to protect against small pieces of space junk traveling at great velocities.

But it won't even last that long. Atmospheric drag in different directions at different altitudes will pull it down. The only way to keep it up is to constantly accelerate the space end of the tether. That takes much more energy than is saved by climbing one's way into orbit. It's all great fun, and some good innovation may come from it, but it will never ever work. And that's from an engineer.

Gphillip, Houston, TX (Sent Monday, July 30, 2007 12:10 PM)

Hey, hey, hey, people, look past your noses! Just go outside with a bucket of water and start swinging it back and forth, further and further. Pretty soon you'll have that bucket going around in a circle like a Ferris Wheel, around and around. And nary a drip will wet you. The centrifugal force will keep the water in the bucket. Now think of your shoulder as the Earth and your arm and the bucket as the 'ribbon.' The centrifugal force of the Earth's spin will keep the ribbon taut and whatever you put on the space end of the ribbon in a geosynchronous orbit.

Buckminster Fuller discovered that carbon (coal, diamond, graphite, etc.) could be formed into 'Bucky Balls,' molecular bits that folded upon themselves like soccer balls, enclosing space in globes with triangular panels, extraordinarily strong. Extruding these balls into tubular form allows for nanoribbons extremely thin and strong.

Space elevators will work, and soon. Hang around if you don't believe me, and see for yourself.

Des Emery, St. Thomas, ON, Canada (Sent Tuesday, July 31, 2007 2:02 AM)

These are very different forces. The earth isn't slinging the ribbon and its attached payload round and round. The attached payload is kept in geosynchronous orbit by a balance between the gravity vector always pulling the payload down toward Earth, and the velocity vector always sending the payload out in a straight tangential (to it's orbit) away from the Earth. This balance is only maintained because there is no air resistance or other forces at work to reduce the magnitude of the velocity vector on the payload.

If on the other hand, one stretches the ribbon through 20 miles of atmosphere that pulls and tugs on the ribbon at different angles at different times, the velocity of the payload is dissipated over time, causing the ribbon, payload and all to fall back to earth.

This is just a simple physical fact and no amount of hand waving will make this thing work. To offset the force of the atmosphere constantly tugging on the ribbon, one must accelerate the payload, similar to swinging the bucket faster to keep the rope tight. Slow down the swinging, and one is likely to get as wet as this goofy idea.

My apologies to NASA. I know a lot of those guys and correspond with them from time to time, but this idea only works if there is no atmosphere, or if the atmosphere is always perfectly still with respect to the surface of the Earth. That just isn't the case anywhere on the face of the Earth. In physics, there is no free ride.

Gphillip, Houston, TX (Sent Tuesday, July 31, 2007 6:16 PM)

I'm not an engineer nor do I claim to have the physics background to do the math on whether centripetal acceleration of the satellite will keep the tether under tension. I'm sure Gphillip is a very smart guy. Many other very smart guys/gals, however, think this WILL work. Obviously, one set of these very smart people are wrong - I guess time will tell which. Meanwhile, even the research into beam and tether technology is an incrediably good investment - regardless of their final applications. What's the harm in trying?

And Gphillip - you might very well be smarter than everyone else but being condenscending is a poor way to get your arguement across. Even if a space elevator is a "goofy idea", calling it that just makes you look arrogant and simply causes people to discount your whole post.

To cool joe - I believe they will user a laser for the light source. A laser is currently used to measure distance to the moon, so lower earth orbital isn't a problem.

Khafka, Tampa FL (Sent Wednesday, August 01, 2007 4:49 PM)

One requirement of space elevators is that there is a 'counterweight' above geosynchronous orbit to balance the weight of the cable. This can be offset to counter average drag forces, and the whole cable will be constantly adjusted using solar powered ion drives or similar, to avoid orbital debris and satellites.

It will all come down to economics in the end. There's little doubt a cable can be built, 2cm long nanotubes have been grown, (only 5,999,999,998 cm to go!), but at huge expense. If the cable can be built deployed and maintained, at less cost per kg of cargo than other launch systems, it will be.

But I wouldn't bet on it. I'm putting my money on Bussard polywell "radiation free" fusion reactors. They have the potential to reduce cost to LEO to under $50 per kg within 10 to 20 years.

Space Cadet, Melbourne, Australia (Sent Tuesday, August 07, 2007 10:43 AM)

Hey Gphillip, can you now think about and explain what will happen if the counterweight (or payload, as you call it for some reason) is not exactly in geosynchronous orbit, but above it?

grr (Sent Thursday, August 09, 2007 10:58 AM)

If the counterweight on the end of the teather is slightly beyond the geosynchronous orbit, it will revolve around the earth slightly slower than the Earth's surface turns underneath it. It then wraps the teather around the Earth and cuts the Earth in half, leaving all the idiots on the half of the Earth that I'm not on, I hope.

Gphillip (Sent Tuesday, September 09, 2008 2:19 PM)

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