Space Elevator Academic Challenge : Improving Humanity’s Future
International Space Elevator Consortium
Routine, simple, low cost access to space
THE CHALLENGE
Can you contribute to the future of humanity with great ideas developed from recent discoveries ? This contest is for students (guideline ages 17-25) from around the world. It focuses on the strengths of the Space Elevator, the Green Road to Space. This challenge encourages you to expand your imagination by exploring, and making a case for, something that the Space Elevator can do for humanity; something that excites YOU.
You can either enter as an individual or as a member of a team (up to four students).
Submission Guidelines
Select one “Mission” that would be important for humanity's future and which would be enormously enhanced by relying on Space Elevators as a robust and "green" access to space.?Explain how the Space Elevator’s transformational characteristics will achieve your chosen Mission, on Earth, on the journey to orbit, in orbit, or further out into space.
Imagination will be appreciated but remember that everything in your submission must be based on well-researched facts.?We're counting on YOU to help make it happen !
(To learn more about the characteristics of the Space Elevator, review the body of knowledge at?www.isec.org)
What is the Green Road to Space ?
Imagine an advanced lift system which raises massive tonnage to space : not the 20,000 tonnes of payload to GEO and beyond that needs over 1,000 Falcon Heavy launches, but 170,000 tonnes every year, and with no atmospheric pollution.
Now imagine that it uses regenerative braking to recapture almost all of the energy from every liftoff ! Also, imagine this making it possible for?everyone?to visit space in the decades ahead, by taking a leisurely and scenic thirty-day journey from the Equator to orbit.?Imagine this making it possible for us to build lush, green, and beautiful space habitats with artificial gravity, so people can finally live and work in space, removing population pressures from our precious ecosystems. Forever.
Imagine this making it possible to provide clean, abundant energy and clean natural resources.
Yes, all of that has recently become possible by building and operating one or even multiple Space Elevators as the permanent transportation system of the near future, doing for us what rockets cannot!
The Greatest Achievement in Human History
When we think of great achievements, many come to mind. Many of us will think of the Pyramids as an example : the Great Pyramid is 5.75 million tonnes and stands 0.14 km high.?
Now, imagine the Space Elevator system, which may mass 4,195 tonnes and stand 100,000 kilometers from the surface of the Earth, a quarter of the distance to the Moon ! By building these elevators at the Equator we will enable a whole new economy — a real, thriving space-and-Earth economy, delivering to humanity abundant clean power and raw materials, new places to live, and eventually even building starships in orbit. This could be YOUR future. YOUR legacy.
Many Challenges Await Us
Naturally, in delivering the greatest engineering project in all of human history, many questions must first be answered. YOU and YOUR TEAM can help us to answer them !
This Academic Challenge asks you to investigate possible missions across global space visions and explain how Space Elevators will enable them.?For example, if you decide to focus on a novel use, you could consider building a full-scale Starship Enterprise in orbit (though without warp engines or beamed teleportation). It could serve as a nuclear-powered solar system cruise ship ( see www.buildtheenterprise.org ). How would the Space Elevator make this possible, and how would it work?
Background Information
In the landmark paper “Space Elevator Tether Materials: An Overview of the Current Candidates”, by Adrian Nixon, John Knapman and Dennis Wright presented at IAC-2022 in Paris, it was determined that by using long sheets of graphene super laminate we can have the first Space Elevator up and running by 2037 ! ( For further information, visit www.isec.org ).
Selection Process
The selection process from abstracts to papers and then to videos will be competitive and lead to three prize winners.
( Prize money equally divided among team members and delivered by PayPal )
Submissions will be judged based upon
Submission Format
Submissions must be in this format:
Process and Timeline
1. Announcement of Challenge : 15 October 2022
2. Abstract submission to: [email protected]
Semi-finalists will be provided with access to the ISEC Zotero library to assist with further research for their paper.
3. Semi-finalist paper submissions to [email protected]
4. Finalist audio/video (MP4) submissions to [email protected]
Winners
The winners will be notified and announced on 15 June 2023.
Winning submissions will be published on the ISEC YouTube channel and other social media.
Winners will be invited to present at the ISEC annual meeting.
Questions?
Write to?[email protected]
Starting Space Elevator Development Corporation and Graduation to Chief Architect, ISEC
2 年We are really trying to reach the young people in university other schools with a challenge to think about our future..... and specifically how space elevators can enable them with their transformational strengths... wonderful challenge to think about our common future.
Integrated Marketing Communications | Define Success: Networking for solutions
2 年Julia Brodsky - the Earthlings Hub may want to enter teams or individuals from the groups of children being served with #STEM classes online! Here’s a thought - ??Perhaps some of the International Space Elevator Consortium scientists would be interested in providing a Zoom with the scientists who teach the #ukrainian orphans you are serving ??