Space Elevator Academic Challenge
2023-2024 Academic Challenge
$7000 in prizes. First submission (abstract of up to 400 words) due by the extended deadline of December 1, 2023.
Co-sponsored by International Space Elevator Consortium and National Space Society.
Can you Imagine? And then—contribute to the future of humanity with great ideas developed from recent discoveries? When we think about great achievements of the past, many come to mind, such as the Pyramids, canals or airplanes. We need to dream big and develop concepts and ideas that will help save the planet and enable us to move towards the moon and Mars. How about dreaming of engineering projects enabling us to provide the Green Road to Space while moving off planet on an efficient permanent infrastructure “tossing” payloads towards exotic destinations? 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! Now imagine a Space Elevator system, which will stretch from the surface of the Earth to a quarter of the distance to the Moon! By building these elevators near the Equator, they 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 on bridges to space. The transformation to this revolutionary future is yours to build. This could be YOUR future. YOUR legacy.
What is a Space Elevator Transportation System? Imagine an advanced lift system which moves not the 20 tonnes of payload to GEO of current launchers, or the 50 tonnes to GEO of advanced Falcon Heavy launches, but a permanent space access infrastructure capable of moving 170,000 tonnes to GEO and beyond every year, and with no atmospheric pollution. Also, imagine this making it possible for everyone to visit space in the decades ahead, by taking a leisurely and scenic 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. Yes, all of that can become possible by building and operating one or even multiple Space Elevators as permanent transportation systems of the near future – doing for us what rockets cannot! Peruse this website for more information about space elevators.
Two Challenges Await You: 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 answer them! These Academic Challenges asks you to investigate (1) the surprising aspects of a Green Road to Space as they apply to your selected missions while (2) incorporating remarkable Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies into future implementation of 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 a full-scale ‘Starship Enterprise’ in orbit, without warp engines or beamed teleportation. It could serve as a nuclear-powered cruise ship for the solar system (www.buildtheenterprise.org); or, how would AI technologies assist within the Space Elevator to make this possible; or, how would the “green technologies” ensure acceptance of these concepts?
Identifying the Major Strengths of the Green Road to Space
The first challenge focuses upon the strengths of Space Elevators – the Green Road to Space. You are encouraged to assess the strengths of Space Elevator by applying its principles to hypothetical future missions, while illustrating the major characteristic of being the Green Road to Space.
Utilizing AI Technologies for Space Elevator Missions
The second challenge encourages you to expand your imagination by exploring the use of AI technologies towards particular aspects of Space Elevators. Either of these challenges should be something that excites YOU.
Submission Guidelines: Select one “Mission” that would be important for humanity's future and which would be enormously enhanced by Space Elevators. The first challenge asks you to assess your selected “Mission” in terms of the robust and "green" access to space being proposed while the second challenge asks you to explain how AI technologies, within Space Elevators’ transformational characteristics, will achieve your chosen “Mission.” These range from on Earth, the journey to orbit, in orbit, or further out into space. You or your team can enter either challenge; however, they will be evaluated at two levels - either high school or university. You can either enter as an individual or as a member of a team (up to four students). YOU can enter one or both of the challenges. This contest is for high school and university students from around the world. Imagination will be rewarded – but remember that everything in your submission must be based upon well-researched facts. We're counting on YOU to help make it happen!
Selection Process: This challenge has three rounds: Abstract, Paper, and Video. Abstracts submitted in the initial round will be selected to advance to the semi-final round. Semi-finalists will be asked to write a paper and selected semi-finalists will be invited to advance to the final round to create a 10-minute video.
A. High School: 1st prize = $2,000USD, 2nd prize = $1,000USD, 3rd prize = $500USD
B. University: 1st prize = $2,000USD, 2nd prize = $1,000USD, 3rd prize = $500USD
Prize money equally divided among team members and delivered by PayPal.
Submissions will be judged based upon
Your insight into future possible uses of (1) green technologies or (2) AI technology towards missions for Space Elevators, depending upon which challenge YOU accept.
Your insight into the impact of the transformational strengths of Space Elevators with respect to Green Road or AI.
Your presentation of the arguments in favor of Space Elevators.
Your creative concepts for using Space Elevators that lead to a better future for humanity.
Submission Format
1. Cover Letter - must be in this format: Title of Submission, Team Member Name(s) (up to four), Team School(s)/University(s), Team Mentor(s) (clearly delineated on application), and one Email contact (lead student’s email, not mentors’).
2. Initial submissions may be up to 400 word abstract, in PDF format, and in English. Initial submissions should be sent to: spaceelevatorchallenge@isec.org
3. For semi-finalists, up to a 15-page paper submitted in English, in PDF format. Semi-finalists will be provided with access to the ISEC Zotero library to assist with further research for their papers. Picture of Team Member(s) clearly identifying students (pictures will be used in final awards). Photo of student ID. Academic Challenge submissions should be sent to: spaceelevatorchallenge@isec.org
4. For finalists, an audio/video (MP4) will be submitted. Audio/video must be 10-mins or less and sent to: spaceelevatorchallenge@isec.org
5. Top winners will be invited to present their papers at the National Space Society’s International Space Development Conference (Los Angeles, 23-26 May 2024), https://isdc2024.nss.org/.
Submission Process and Timeline
1. 15 September 2023 Announcement of Space Elevator Academic Challenge
2. 1 December 2023 Abstract submission
15 December 2023 Semi-finalist selections (top 25 of each challenge) notified
3. 01 February 2024 Semi-finalists’ paper submissions
15 February 2024 Finalist selection, notification (top 10 each challenge)
4. 01 April 2024 Finalists’ audio/video submission
15 April 2024 Final Selections (top 3 of each challenge) announced
5. 23-26 May 2024 Presentations at NSS Conference
Evaluation Criteria: Evaluation criteria for the abstract, paper, and video submissions can be found here:
https://www.isec.org/s/ISEC-Academic-Challenge-2024-Evaluation-Criteria.pdf
Winners: Winning submissions will be published on the ISEC YouTube channel and other social media. Winners will be invited to present at the National Space Society Conference 23-26 May 2024 in Los Angeles, CA.
Questions? Write to spaceelevatorchallenge@isec.org
2022-2023 Academic Challenge Winners
2023 Space Elevator Challenge: Improving Humanity’s Future
THE CHALLENGE:
Can you contribute to the future of humanity with great ideas developed from recent discoveries? This contest was for students (guideline ages 17-25) from around the world. It focused on the strengths of the Space Elevator, the Green Road to Space. This challenge encouraged each student to expand their imagination by exploring, and making a case for, something that the Space Elevator can do for humanity; something that excites them. They could either enter as an individual or as a member of a team (up to four students).
THE WINNERS:
1st Place ($2,000): Henrique Etrusco Ribeiro Moreira (above), “Space Elevator: Applications of GEO Stations and Microgravity” (Vanier College). This paper discusses the transformational properties of such a framework, including the addition of a GEO station. As a novel part of space elevator research, the benefits of such a station is explored and a specific focus is given to the microgravity characteristics that can be found in such an infrastructure.
Henrique’s video entry is below.
2nd Place ($1,000): (above, left to right) Ryo Kuzuno, Yukito Kodama & Yuki Furusho of Tohoku University and Shota Arai of the University of Tokyo, “High-Level Nuclear Waste Disposal System Using Space Elevator.” This paper examines the feasibility and effectiveness of using space elevators for transporting high-level nuclear waste (HLW) into space. Space elevators could offer a safe and high-capacity alternative. This study evaluates the technical and economic aspects of HLW disposal in space using space elevators and concludes that it is a realistic option with an adequate disposal time frame.
The second place team video is below.
3rd Place ($500): Juan Koike (above right), Nanako Doi (center), Shingo Toyoda (left), & Ryota Yoshimura (not shown), “High-degree-of-freedom Orbital Deployment of CubeSats by Space Elevators” (College of Science and Technology, Nihon University). Basic research is described on space elevator transport units with the aim of "realization of position control for high-speed movement." This is developing a technique to stop climbers from moving at high speed at an arbitrary position on the tether. This research could be applied to the transport of CubeSats.
The third place team video is below.
Finalist: Maria Juliane de Souza Brito (above), Universidade Federal do Amazonas - UFAM (Federal University of Amazonas), with three submissions.
The Ark could soon become a reality with appropriate technology. By utilizing the space elevator capabilities of high volumes to space at low costs, we propose a potential system to allow the preservation of human society in case of emergencies that could produce an extinction: The Ark, an independent space settlement or spaceship to store most terrestrial plant seeds and animal embryos, including human, for future return-to-life event in case of need.
Impactor: A proposal to utilize the space elevator’s unique capabilities to assemble in orbital a heavy bullet shaped mass called Impactor to be smashed against an incoming asteroid to deflect it from its terrestrial target. Only with the space elevator and its capabilities could such an impactor, a superheavy and large body, be built and assembled in order to be effective against an incoming asteroid.
Min-Man: The utilization of space resources, nearly unlimited compared to those in our planet, may start an era of abundance for the human society. Recent advances in space technology with more affordable costs for entrepreneurs willing to invest in space can open up new opportunities and allow to start mining activities in space. The space elevator introduction will represent a paradigm shift and a true breakthrough in space development and will allow many activities previously unheard of.
Finalist: Sidney Sheets (above), Aaron Mizrahi (not shown), Lacie Chickaway (not shown), “Space Elevators: A Scientific Application” (Florida Institute of Technology). Discusses the economy, efficiency, and reliability of a Space Elevator to support unmanned space science missions, including astronomy, planetary, and solar science.