Raising money for a space elevator

With the help of crowdfunding you can finance not only computer toys and gadgets, but also serious scientific projects. Recently, Kickstarter began collecting money for a real space elevator - a mega-project of the LiftPort Group company , which has been doing research in this direction for nine years, starting experiments with nanotubes in 2003 (unsuccessfully), but then having succeeded in manufacturing robots.

In 2000, NASA offered to start a similar project, but did not receive funding. He was too expensive.

But there is a cheaper option: to make an elevator not from the Earth, but from the Moon, while starting construction from the Lagrange point (the balance point between the Earth and the Moon), casting anchor on the Moon by specialized robots - as shown in the diagram and the demo video.
')
LiftPort estimates the cost of building such an elevator in the amount of $ 800 million to $ 1.5 billion, when calculating the load of robots 40-240 kg. Construction may take 20-25 years.





This option, according to the calculations of the LiftPort Group, will be much cheaper. The main thing is that it is available at the current level of technology development, the construction time will roughly take 8 years.

To carry out development work, LiftPort needs $ 3 million - this money will be enough to create a transport infrastructure project.

Probably, it was possible to find investors from among computer millionaires who like to finance space startups. But LiftPort went the other way - and published the idea on the Kickstarter crowdfunding platform. Anyone can donate an amount of one dollar. Depending on the donation amount, he receives various bonuses: a friend’s badge, a postcard, a jersey, etc. During the launch campaign, the goal is not to collect three million, but in the future it is quite possible.

The first fundraising is rather a symbolic act that will allow LiftPort to restore the community of enthusiasts, which was during the first phase of activity in 2003-2007. Now the company is returning to life and hopes that the second stage will be more successful.

LiftPort will spend the collected money on an earth experiment called Tethered Towers. The cable will be raised to a height of more than two kilometers, with a suspended test platform on helium balloons. The cable must be suitable for moving robots. If the first platform is successfully built, a second platform will be built at a height of 3-5 km.

These are small experiments with small budgets. The video shows past experience with lifting the cable by 300 meters.





At the moment, until the completion of the first fundraising stage, 12 days are left, and the counter has already exceeded $ 46,000 with the stated goal of $ 8,000. Well, at such a pace people can build a space elevator without any investors.