Space Elevator Games Update T-Minus 18 Days

Hello folks, and greetings from Elevator Central.

In this issue:

– I&Q week – the place to be.
– Status report.
– Sponsorship opportunities at the games.
– Volunteers for Las Cruces.
– Special thanks.

* I&Q week

Probably the most interesting part of the games this year will not
happen during the competition itself, but during the week leading to it.

In this week, we will set up a little “Olympic village”, at the county
fairgrounds next to the airport. The purpose of this week is for the
teams to assemble and integrate their Space Elevator climbers with our
track infrastructure.

Since many of the teams are driving to the competition in RVs, the Space
Elevator village will take on a very special character – this is where
people from all over the world, who have spend the last year pursuing
the same dream, will get a chance to meet for the first time and work
together towards making that dream come true. We expect some rivalry, of
course, but as one of the team members expressed himself in an email not
too long ago, the real competition is with the skeptics out there.
Based on our experience with the teams of last year, this will be a very
special time. We want this to become the beginning of a yearly Space
Elevator tradition where the Space Elevator community gets together to
exchange ideas.

I&Q week (Integration and Qualification) will also determine which teams
are good enough to participate in the competition itself. In order to
qualify, the teams have to complete a 30′ ascent at a quarter of the
competition minimum speed – slightly less than 1 foot per second.

We wish all 12 teams the best of luck!

* Status report

With 12 climber and 4 tether teams remaining in the running, the
competition is promising to be a high-octane event. We don’t want to
spill too many beans, but let’s just say that from what we already know,
Ken Davidian from NASA’s Centennial Challenges program had better get
these large cardboard checks printed nice and pretty… and get a pen
to sign them!

Climber row, our 2-day Space Elevator museum at the X-Prize Cup, is
shaping up beautifully – 200′ long, 30′ wide, and 30′ tall, it will
barely be large enough able to contain the climbers, many of which spawn
more than 15′ in diameter.

The race track is coming along nicely too, with help from Dave Carty
(The same guy that created the Space Elevator multimedia CDs). Roger
Gilbertson of the bay area robotics society has agreed to be our MC, and
will be narrating the event and interviewing our guests throughout the
two competition days.

* Sponsorship opportunities

We have been shy so far about getting sponsorship for the games,
frankly, because we did not know how well the competition will shape up.
(Rather go unsponsored than not deliver on what we promise – right?)
Well – we are now very confident that the competition will be
spectacular, so are opening up sponsorship opportunities.

If you or your company like Space Education projects, think the Space
Elevator is important, and would like exposure to 25,000 of
space-curious spectators and all the who’s who of Space 2.0 – please
check out the information at
http://www.elevator2010.org/site/sponsorshipXP.html

Large business or small, private or corporate, we have an option that
will work for you.

* Volunteers for Las Cruces

As mentioned before, we’re looking for on-site help at Las Cruces. An
advanced team will arrive at Las Cruces on or about 10/12, and will
start working setting up I&Q week at the fairgrounds. If you are a
resident of Las Cruces or El Paso, or if you want to join us for the
entire week, please email us.

Our travel schedule is not final yet, but we will be able to pick up
people along the Bay area – Los Angeles – Phoenix – Tucson – Las Cruces
route. Please include the date from which you can be available.

* Special thanks

We’d like to thanks so much for the exceptional people of Las Cruces who
are making this possible by going all out and giving us a hand:

– Mayor Bill Mattiace.
– County engineer Jorge Granados.
– Ken Wooten of Wooten construction.
– Phil Cordova of Alliance Riggers & Constructors in El Paso.
– Jon Benson and Mark Medoff of New Mexico State University Creative
Media Institute.
– Pat Hynes of New Mexico State University and New Mexico Space Grant
Consortium.
– Peter Diamandis and the X-Prize Crew, including Rick Winquest, Mike
Kelly, Paul Birkeland, and Nicole Jordan – without whom none of this
would have been possible.

* As usual…
Our web site: http://www.spaceward.org
Space Elevator competition: http://www.elevator2010.org
Our web shop: http://www.elevator2010.org/site/shop.html