Winnow, winnow, winnow…

I’ve heard from several more teams (Space Elevator Team at UT, Recens, Team Rambo I / Team Telsa, Queens Space Elevator Racing Team, Lone Star and MIT) that they are NOT competing this year in the Climber / Power-Beaming competition (MIT will still be competing in the Tether competition).

So, this is what I know so far:

Teams definitely in:

#230 – McGill  Space Elevator Team (possibly in conjunction with Punkworks – more on this later) – Searchlights or Microwave

#234 – Kansas City Space Pirates – Solar

#235 – LaserMotive – Laser

#241 – USST – Laser

#253 – UBC Snowstar – Solar

Teams definitely out:

#222 – Starlifters

#226 – MIT Space Elevator Team (again Climber / Power-Beaming only – Tether team will play)

#228 – Team Telsa

#236 – Andromeda Connection

#239 – M Climber

#240 – Lone Star

#242 – Queens Space Elevator Racing Team

#244 – Recens

#245 – Space Elevator Team at UT (University of Tennessee)

Teams I have not heard from:

#221 – Space Invaders

#225 – Team Zero G

#237 – University of Alberta Space Elevator Racing Team

#238 – Uplifting Experience

#243 – Lite Won (Technology Tycoons) – Last year’s second best finisher

#246 – University of Idaho Engineering

#249 – E-T-C (I’m pretty sure they’re playing but haven’t heard from them definitively yet – they might be in transit from Japan)

#250 – Centaurus

I’m disappointed, of course, that not all of the teams can make it, but I’m especially disappointed that neither of the two European entries (Team Telsa and Recens) will be here.  Recens was cursed with tremendously bad luck last year and the Space Elevator Gods should have put this situation aright.  I guess it was not to be.

I’m fairly sure that at least 3-4 entrants from the “Don’t know” list will be playing too, but I won’t move them to the “Definitely in” list until I’m “Definitely sure” 🙂

Both teams listed for the Tether competition (Astroaranaea and MIT) WILL be there.

As I get more replies or information from other sources, I will update this list.

2 thoughts on “Winnow, winnow, winnow…

  1. David ortiz

    im seeing a trend thats obveuse why teams are droping out of all compatitions,
    1st is the top priz od 500,000 dollers is a good thing but talking with all teams that copeat with this event , if you look at other compatitions around that are verry si,iler in nature they all have a top priz of 1 million to 250,000 but they also have other prizes of 1st place 2nd place3 3rd place and so on,
    the teams seem to think there is no other way to advance or to make the evert to challenge other teams here becouse there is alot invested in the compatition and if you win or become 2nd by winning the compatition there is no insentive beacouse there is no other priz or money that will pay out to 3rd place or evin a 50,000 doller prize for 2nd place besides the house.
    and soon there will be no compeditores to challenge any one for the top prize and all are droping out of the compatition for that resone so if they where to loosan up and have like the top 500,000 top winner 250,000 2nd place winner and 3rd place of 50,000 dollers for last that would have sucj an impact on all compeditors to make this event a big thing beacouse its worth the try and going for it
    thanks

  2. Ted Semon Post author

    David, that’s simply not correct. To qualify to be a winner, you have to meet a certain criteria (basically 2 meters per second). If more than one team meets that criteria, then they split the prize – up to 3 winners. The one doing the best gets, I think $250K, the second gets $150K and the third $100K (I might have those numbers wrong, but it’s something like that). $500K is awarded to one winner if they are the ONLY ones who met the criteria of 2 meters per second.

    Ted

Comments are closed.