Follow ScienceBlips on Twitter
LaserMotive has successfully qualified for the $900,000 Space Elevator Prize
Next Big Future —
... a helicopter. Power beaming prize description and rules page. Vertical Distance: 1 km Speed: 2 m/s, 5 m/s Prize Purses: $900,000 for 2-4.99 meters/second $1.1 Million for 5+ meters/second Lasermotive's climber went 1000 meters in 242 seconds is about 4.13 meters/second A climb faster than 3 minutes and 20 seconds is needed to win the 5 meter per second prize for $1.1 million. Lasermotive's blog LaserMotive (Tuesday, Nov 3, ...
Beyond Rocket Science
Uncertain Principles —
... It's not getting as much press as the "X Prize" for private rocket launches, but NASA has quietly been running a contest for work toward a "space elevator," offering up to $2 million for a scheme to transmit power to a small robot climbing a 1km cable. Yesterday, the team from LaserMotive, including certified rocket scientist and friend of the blog Jordin Kare, ...
Laser-Powered Robot Climbs to Victory in the Space-Elevator Contest
Discover Magazine | rsslist —
... capable of lifting astronauts, cargo, and even tourists up into orbit. The robot, built by LaserMotive of Seattle, whizzed up 2,953 feet (nearly 1 kilometer) in about four minutes, which qualifies the team for at least $900,000 of the $2 million in prizes offered in the NASA-backed ...
