NASA Power Beaming Challenge is On For November 2nd

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on Friday October 23, 2009 @08:43AM from the scott-me-up-beamie dept.

carstene writes "The NASA Centennial Challenge Powered Beaming competition, to develop technology for uses such as a space elevator, or to power a rover in a shadowed crater on the moon, was delayed indefinitely due to trouble setting up the kilometer-high race track. It has now had the kinks worked out and is rescheduled for the week of November 2nd. The competition involves using a high-power laser to beam power to a robot that climbs a kilometer-high cable attached to a helicopter. The competition was previously covered on Slashdot."

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Re:Why not just use wires? by fred+fleenblat · 2009-10-23 09:13 · Score: 5, Interesting

aside from the weight issue, shouldn't the cable specifically be designed to be an insulator anyway? Shorting out the fair weather return current and/or tapping into particle storms in the upper atmosphere seems like it could lead to some nasty little electrical issues.