From
http://www.nss.org/news/releases/pr20080909.html

Contact: Mr. John C. Mankins (jmankins@managedenergytech.com)

During the week of May 5-9, 2008, a key step on the path to Space-Based Solar Power was achieved: a "first-of-a-kind" long-range demonstration of solar-powered wireless power transmission using a solid-state phased array transmitter located on the U.S. island of Maui (on Haleakala) and receivers located on the island of Hawai'i (Mauna Loa) and airborne. The demonstration, achieved by Managed Energy Technologies LLC of the U.S. and sponsored by Discovery Communications, Inc., involved the transmission of RF energy over a distance of up to 148 kilometers (about 90 miles): almost 100-times further than a major 1970s power transmission performed by NASA in the Mojave Desert in California. The 2008 project (which lasted only 5 months and cost less than $1M) proved that real progress toward Space Solar Power can be made quickly, affordably and internationally, including key participants from the U.S. and Japan.

I am with the newly established JPL Space Foundation. http://www.jplspacefoundation.org . The foundation will basiclly support research into finding an affordable, reliable and safe access to space. We believe the Space Elevator has the best chance of meeting these three requirments. I have talked with many people about a way to raise money to support the Space Elevator. I just recently found a way that we all can do something to raise money. There is a new search engine called Good Search which is powered by Yahoo that will contribute one cent to a charity of your choice every time you use Good Search to look up anything on the web. All you need do is go to: http://www.jplspacefoundation.org and click the Good Search Banner and download the Good Search search bar when you get to their site. Choose JPL Space Foundation as your Charity, if it doesn’t show up automaticlly and then surf the web as usual using Good Search. All proceeds will be used to support research for the Space Elevator and the conferences each year.

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The NSS team just finished a very busy weekend, where we demonstrated
our prototype climber for BBC Science.

A video showing one of the climbs can be seen at:
http://www.nssspaceelevator.org/news.html

Cheers,
Bert

From: http://www.iop.org/EJ/abstract/0957-4484/18/45/455709/

"Abstract. This paper reports on oriented poly(vinyl alcohol)/single-walled carbon nanotube (PVA/SWNT) tapes that were prepared by a mild processing route, involving the use of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) as a solvent. Composite films with homogeneously dispersed SWNTs were cast from solution and drawn into oriented tapes using solid-state drawing. The obtained tapes showed the extraordinary reinforcing effects of the SWNTs, as the addition of 1.0 wt% SWNTs tripled the tensile strength of the PVA tapes. Micromechanical analysis showed that the nanotube contribution to the composite strength was as high as 88 GPa, which is very high when compared to other data reported in the literature, and for the first time begins to exploit the theoretical strength of nanotubes. "

The NSS Space Elevator Team has teamed up with Trumpf Laser for the 2008 elevator2010 games. Teaming up with Trumpf will allow the team to use a 8Kwatt laser operating at 1030nm.

Also the team has obtained 501(c)(3)status. For U.S. tax purposes, NSS is a tax-exempt, 501(c)(3) educational, non-profit corporation. All donations to NSS are fully tax deductible (as allowed by your local laws). Donate to the team and get up to a $5M advertising value. For more info please see http://www.spaceward.org/eyeballs.html. If you are interested in the possibilities of donating pleas contact Bert Murray: hcm1955@gmail.com

All,

I am leading a team to compete in this year's Elevator2010 contest. Right now the team consists of seven people. I would like to grow the team to 10 to 20 team members. In particular we need help in laser optics, and embedded controls

If you are interested please shoot me an email.


Cheers,
Bert Murray
Ellicott City, MD

hcm1955@gmail.com

D 301 698 3382
E 410 750 7497

NSS Space Elevator Chapter
NSS Space Elevator Team

Based on the wikipedia article an orbital ring space elevator would cost 15 Billion in 1980 USD. In today dollars that would be something like 40 to 50 billion dollars.

This is less than 10 % of the estimated cost of the Iraq war. I am neither making a statement for or against the Iraq war, only pointing out the cost compared to other expenses that the US has incurred.

A space elevator design based on orbital rings is well within the capability of today's science and engineering skills. I believe the major obstacle in designing and building a space elevator is lack of political will, not technical limitations.

http://www.spaceward.org/elevator2010-teams