StarClimber: Space Elevator Blog

One step at a time (+- 0.33% non-accumulative error).

Ash has designed and built a general-purpose lightweight robotics controller, with capacity to handle our climbing stepper motor, sensors, brakes, etc. This looks like a great piece of equipment to have around; not just for this project but for future endeavors and possible commercial applications. Photo below.

Meanwhile I’ve been doing tests on our solar panel. Currently we’re getting really low power output from our solar cells, purchased at www.siliconsolar.com, and I’m talking with their technical people and trying to resolve the issue. In the worst case we may have to stretch our funding to the limit to get high efficiency cells elsewhere.

I’ll be giving a presentation on space elevators and the Starclimber project at the Delaware Valley Amateur Astronomers club on May 12. The event is free and open to the public; so if you’re in the Philadelphia area, come by and check it out. Details are available at the DVAA website

Working from an idea by Ash, we tested the alignment on the parabolic reflector with a ruler and laser pointer (see red dot in picture). So far we’ve got the focal point accurate to within +- 3″ over most of the surface area.

We put together the parabolic trough reflector this weekend. Not bad for a first version. More work is needed to tighten the mylar film and remove wrinkles, and cut weight and improve stiffness on the aluminum frame.

Some delays on solar panel construction mean that we probably will have to push back the first beam-powered climb demonstration into April. More info there as it’s available.

Work is continuing on our first climber build. Ash has our stepper motor and transmission climbing a ribbon, while I’ve been building and testing a prototype light concentrator and solar panel. We’ll be assembling components this month. Our first demonstration climb under light power is tentatively planned for the end of March. Watch here for further details on time, location, etc.

Lunar Lander Challenge

The X Prize Foundation is back in action. They’re offering $2 million, split among several awards, for a rocket-powered lunar lander type vehicle. (Lift off with a 25 kg payload, hover for several minutes on rockets, move a few hundred yards, land safely on target. Repeat.) Draft rules are available for public comment through March 1st here.

Anybody interested in getting in on this for next year? We’d need a safe, controllable, refuelable rocket (compressed air?) and some good microcontroller and sensor systems for balance and targeting. Plus good-old lightweight structural engineering work. Once this year’s space elevator project is complete, we’ll have time to look at expanding to other challenges.

I’d like to thank my mom and her colleagues at SITA, an aviation-oriented communications company, for their generous support of our project. So far, SITA employees have purchased 23 t-shirts!

Many of them have asked for more information on how we’re doing. Our target for fundraising from t-shirt sales and/or private donations is $2000, and right now we’re about a quarter of the way there. You can now track our progress via the handy meter on the right.

We want to reassure our supporters that we will definitely have a fully-functional entry in the competition, even if we fail to meet the fundraising goals. However, the closer we come, the better our chances of winning will be.

We continue to look for corporate sponsorship, and have also begun contacting to media outlets and letting them know about our project. We hope to have some exciting media-related news for you in a few weeks.

Hi everyone. I’m happy to report that we have now raised $705 for this year’s competition. Thanks to everyone who has helped us!

Also, we’d like to tell you about an exciting application of Stirling engine technology. An Arizona-based company called Stirling Engine Systems is working with the government to build a solar farm that would harvest as much energy as all existing solar cell arrays combined.

This technology works on the same principle as StarClimber. Reflectors are used to focus sunlight on one end of a Stirling engine, causing the engine to get very hot. The temperature difference between the hot end and the opposite, cooler end drives two pistons, which ultimately drive a turbine that generates energy.

The device created by Stirling Enery Systems is able to convert sunlight to usable electricity more efficiently than photovoltaic cells. We believe the same will hold true for space elevators.

Thanks for visiting us. Check back for more news soon!

Hi everyone,

We’ve been out of touch for a while so there’s a lot to tell you.

Most importantly, the space elevator competition was rescheduled from its original date of September 30 and is now taking place October 22, two weeks from today!

We are putting the finishing touches on our climber this weekend. We received a great boost from Mr. Shumate and his metal shop students at Harford Technical High School in Maryland; they played a central role in machining our engine cylinder out of stainless steel.

I also want to acknowledge the contributions of two additional team members. Ash Gokhale and Bill Walsh have worked to design and construct the clibmer’s parabolic reflector, transmission and other support systems. Check out Ash’s bio on our about page.

We couldn’t have made it without the help of these individuals.

We’re also excited to tell you that Starclimber is discussed in the October issue of Popular Science. It’s a brief comparison of our climber and two other entries in the competition, but we’re thrilled to be mentioned in such a widely-enjoyed publication. To check out the article, click here.

Douglas Adams fans will note that the article appears on page 42. A good sign? We encourage you to check out a copy at your favorite newsstand.

Thanks to everyone for your support. I will make every effort to update from Mountain View, California during the week leading up to the competition. Wish us luck!

Hi everyone,

Matt and I are at Spaceward headquarters in Mountain View, Ca. There are seven teams here for the climber contest and each one has a unique design. There is one other team that’s using a Stirling engine, headed by Michael Fisher of California. In addition to the competitive atmosphere, there’s a real sense of camaraderie and curiosity about each other’s designs. We’re having a good time and picking up design tips that we might be able to use for next year’s contest.

Everyone is making last minute adjustments in advance of tomorrow’s qualifying event, so I have to get back to work. I hope to post photos tomorrow. Wish you were all here!