updated 1:31 a.m. CT, Sat., Nov . 7, 2009
A Seattle-based team has won $900,000 in this year's Space Elevator Games, a NASA-sponsored contest to build machines powered by laser beams that can climb a cable in the sky.
The homemade cable-climber built by the LaserMotive team climbed a 3,000-foot (900-meter) tether suspended by a helicopter at a speed of 8 mph (3.7 meters per second or 13 kilometers per hour) during a Wednesday attempt.
LaserMotive's robot climber managed to get all the way up the cable four times in two days, with a best time of about 3 minutes and 48 seconds (translating to a speed of 3.9 meters per second).
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33737313/ns/technology_and_science-space/
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5g16r_7B0VfVH_rWZF0kcnkPQbvGwD9...
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/media/ALeqM5gkBLrncVOnvUD2g-I4KbhdeCC6bg?siz...
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- remanns
- added this
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Growing that beanstalk! The seeds are being planted!
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NASA is actually seriously considering an elevator?!
What about lazer propulsion, or whatever other techniques are being developed? Wouldn't that be a bit more practical, and perhaps cheaper?
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(visionary side)
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but about that laser propulsion;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAdj6vpYppA -
In 1908 (or thereabouts) there were two automobiles in Kansas, and they collided, head-on. I bet $100 that, when the space cable is in place, it will be hit by an airplane or helicopter within nine months of its initial deployment.
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- Progresshiv
- 17 days ago
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I think this is a fantastic idea. If and when they actually have a fully operational space elevator in place, our ability to see and travel further into space will expand exponentially.
I just love it.
