Space elevator prize within reach

Space elevator prize eludes Saskatchewan team:
"A team of engineers from Saskatoon came within four seconds of winning a half-million-dollar prize in a NASA-sponsored competition to build a model of a space elevator.

For the third consecutive year, the University of Saskatchewan Space Design Team placed first in Elevator: 2010, also called the Spaceward Games.

But for the third straight year, it appears they came a breath shy of reaping the reward.

Competitors had to build a robotic climber capable of ascending a strand of carbon-fibre ribbon suspended from an overhead crane. The climber had to use a wireless power source on the way up but descend in a controlled fashion on its own.

The team reached the top of the 120-metre ribbon in 54 seconds. The allotted time was 50 seconds."

Search for articles about beanstalks and you'll find that this is a technology close to reality - a space delivery system that provides vastly reduced risks and costs. There is still some fundamental science to be completed, but the bigger challenges may be political. Hopefully progress will continue at it's present rapid rate because low cost access to space will improve life on earth for everyone.