Hidden Nook
"Because in Cyberspace, no one can hear you scream."
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
Space Elevator Competition Results In
[Media Source*] (Hat Tip: The Space Elevator)
(Spaceref.com) NASA and the Spaceward Foundation announced the results of the 2005 Beam Power Challenge and Tether Challenge. Eleven teams competed in the two competitions over the weekend at NASA's Ames Research Center in Mountain View, Calif. Although no team claimed this year's prizes, historic firsts were achieved.
Teams here were competing for $50,000 from NASA although it seems the competition was more about bragging rights than winning the prize money (as historical note is worth far more than financial independence). Although no team was able to reach to the top of the 200 foot cable, the University of Saskatchewan Space Design Team was able to climb 40 feet, the farthest out of all of the teams present.
(Spaceref.com) In the Tether Challenge, teams had to create high-strength, low-weight tethers, which were stretched to their limits in a head-to-head, single-elimination competition.
The Centaurus Aerospace Team produced the strongest tether. But to claim the $50,000 prize, the strongest team tether had to beat the house tether, constructed from the best commercially-available material, by a margin of 50 percent. Centaurus fell just short.
Despite the remarkable results, no team was able to claim top spot for this years competition. However, NASA is raising the prize money to $200,000 for next years competition, which will probably be more difficult and demanding of these teams. Regardless of this years result, history is being made. Someday mankind may never have to launch off of Earth's surface and instead ride in an elevator heading for the stars.
Deutsch ⢠Español ⢠Français ⢠Italiano ⢠Portugese ⢠æ¥æ¬èª ⢠íêµ â¢ æ±è¯
Comment Policy: Comments posted here do not necessarily reflect the views of this site or the authors, and are the legal responsibility of the original commenter. Intelligent opinions welcome. Comment here.
By Darnell Clayton ⢠8:33 PM ⢠Email Post ⢠â¢
Enter your email address below to subscribe.
Button Membership
Important Information
View Blog Stats
Plus 10,667 hits before August 12, 2005
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 License.
Opinions expressed here do not reflect the views of anyone that I work with, for, or associate with in any manner.
