For the obvious reasons, I invariably get too busy to blog exactly when things get interesting...
The Space Elevator Games are two technology prize challenges that take aim at the two building blocks of the Space Elevator – Strong Tethers and Power Beaming. The games are backed by a $4M prize purse from NASA’s Centennial Challenges program, and are organized by the Spaceward Foundation.
The 2009 Power Beaming Challenge
At the center of the Power Beaming challenge is a 1-km vertical racetrack that has to be scaled by beam-powered vehicles, replicating the architecture of the Space Elevator. This year’s full prize will be awarded only to teams that can sustain an average speed of 5 m/s over the entire climb.
The Tether Strength challenge, which will be held a month later at the Space Elevator conference in Seattle, offers the prize purse to teams that can create a tether loop (2 m long, and weighing a maximum of 2 grams) that is stronger than a certain threshold. (These tethers today carry more than 1000 lb of force !)
Like all technology challenges, the SE games walk the line between full-bore technology development (as can be achieved by a dedicated research contract) and a full-bore public outreach (as can be achieved by an educational program). When the games started in 2005, the technology level was low. This was OK, since there was no previous experience or legacy to draw on, as was possible in things like rocketry, solar-cars, or other comparable programs. In 2009, the systems deployed at the games are state-of-the-art, achieving first-ever performance in the field of power beaming. In 2007, we also saw our first pure Carbon Nanotube sample, and we’re looking forward to seeing even more impressive results this year. (Since the Tether challenge is more “fundamental” than the power beaming challenge, we expected it to lag a couple of years behind the power beaming challenge)
The last benefit of the games approach is its ability to try many technical approaches at once. For the 2009 games, we had 11 teams start the registration process, wielding solution as diverse as Microwave beams and heat engines. Only 6 teams are still competing, but even in the narrower space of IR lasers (where they all ended up), each of the teams excels in a differnet aspect of the design. The prizes, unlike in traditional cost-plus contracting, are only awarded to the winning designs.