spacetoday.net: Team wins prize in power beaming competition

Posted: Wed, Nov 11, 2009, 7:02 AM ET (1202 GMT)
LaserMotive power beaming climber (NASA)

One of three teams competing in a NASA competition to demonstrate power beaming technology won $900,000 in prize money last week. Seattle-based LaserMotive won the prize by using laser power to move a climber robot up a one-kilometer ribbon at a speed of about four meters a second, twice the speed needed to qualify for the prize. Two other teams also participated in the come petition but fell short of the minimum speed needed to qualify for a share of the prize purse. The prize is meant to demonstrate wireless power transmission, a key technology needed for space elevators as well as other transportation applications. The competition is one of several that is part of NASA's Centennial Challenges prize program.