LaserMotive talks power-beaming
November 29th, 2009
On the LaserMotive Blog, mention is made of a recent article in the SunBreak, a local Seattle newspaper (team LaserMotive is based in Seattle).
It’s a very interesting article and well worth the read. LaserMotive’s Jordin Kare talks about power-beaming and why that interests LaserMotive (as opposed to a Space Elevator, which they are not interested in).
Jordin is quoted:
“Some of the people who are competing are very much believers in the space elevator–Tom Nugent and I, who started the LaserMotive team, are pretty skeptical,” admitted Kare. “It’s one of these things where it’s a lovely idea, and it may be physically possible–which I wouldn’t have said a decade ago–but it’s a very long jump drawing pretty pictures and writing basic equations to being able to build something a hundred-and-some-odd-thousand kilometers long.”
He’s absolutely correct, of course - right now a Space Elevator IS not much more than ‘pretty pictures’. As the President of ISEC, it’s my job to change that ‘equation’…
It’s ironic - the team that really is not a fan of the idea of Space Elevator is the team that won the recent Space Elevator Games. On one of the many news-clips that resulted from the Games, a reporter asked why LaserMotive bothered to compete in the Games if they don’t believe in the concept. The reply was that they wanted to demonstrate their prowess in power-beaming. I don’t think the $900,000 hurt anything either…
(Picture of Jordin from here - click on it to see a full-size version)
Entry Filed under: Interviews / Presentations, News / Announcements, Space Elevator Competitions
2 Comments Add your own
1. Nick | November 30th, 2009 at 12:50 am
If they’re so skeptical about a space elevator, I’d be curious to know what other applications of power beaming they foresee. They wouldn’t create a company solely for a cause they don’t entirely believe in, after all.
2. Confusador | November 30th, 2009 at 10:35 am
And this, right here, is why these prizes are so important. Especially for the tether competition where we are so far away, there needs to be some incentive for people who don’t see any short term reason to work on the problem. I don’t care whether they think it’s useful, as long as we’re making progress.
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