Space Elevator Challenge
For this competition, several teams will create a new form of transportation not seen before. This transportation will take society to lengths much farther than a car, train, or plane ever will. The objective is to build a space elevator. If successful, the elevator will be able to transport human beings from sea level to above the stratosphere and onto the surface of the moon. It will provide a less expensive, more feasible alternative to the typical shuttle/rocket. This competition, sponsored by NASA, will allow teams across the globe to compete for the cash prize. NASA is sponsoring this event so they can obtain perspectives from outside of the organization to help them revolutionize space travel.
Every year, since 2005, teams from across the world compete in a set city to test their prototype designs for the challenge. For the space elevator challenge, the objective is for the device to climb the tether at a meter per second. The main source of energy will be natural sunlight, though some other sources are acceptable. . The tether on each device is 200 meters long and is suspended from a crane. Each device is tethered to a safety line, so if the device gets stuck on its way up, it can be easily pulled down. Each team has fifteen minutes to attach the device to the tether, and is given three trials. Before actually sending the device up, each team has time to work on any last-minute adjustments on their device. In order to accommodate each team, the competition provides everyone with a workplace, where they can store, or work on their devices.
Below are a few links about the challenge:
Below are some videos of artists thoughts on what the final space elevator would look like.