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Michael Laine, President

• www.liftport.com

• @mlaine

• (862) Get-LF8D – (862) 438-5383

• laine@liftport.com

• about.me/michaellaine

• www.facebook.com/liftport

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This Way to the Stars

Sic Itur Ad Astra

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Space Elevators

• What

• How

• Why

• Get Involved

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What

Goal: Terrestrial Space Elevator

Precursor: Lunar Space Elevator Infrastructure

Future: Phobos Martian Space Elevator

Demonstrator: Deep Space Tether Pathfinder

Incremental Development: String-Sat(s)

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NASA Institute for Advanced Concepts Design Video

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The view from Selene (1)

Photograph courtesy JAXA/ISIS

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Lunar Space Elevator Infrastructure (LSEI)

Superimposed on an image of the Earth-Moon system from the Juno spacecraft; taken August 26, 2011 from 9.66 million km.

Photograph courtesy NASA/JPL (to scale)

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Landing Site : Sinus Medii - right in the center of the near side. Photograph courtesy NASA,

Google Earth

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In 1967, the unmanned Surveyor 6 landed on the other side of Sinus Medii.

Here is what the surface looked like.

Photograph courtesy NASA/JPL

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Sinus Medii - Landing Site from ~ 10 km altitudePhotograph courtesy NASA from LROC Web Page

How• Current Technologies

– Rockets– Robotics– Communications– Computing– Materials!

• Sputnik-like Simplicity

• Single Launch Solution

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What are we trying to do ?●There has been much discussion in the last 50 years of space exploration using megastructures.–A structure, deployed in space, designed to facilitate our access to space and our use of space resources.–With current technology, these will be built of strings.

●We feel that the time is right to begin building and using these devices, using existing materials.–Quicken the pace of space exploration and development.–Build operational experience and engineering know-how.–Preparation for an eventual terrestrial space elevator.

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What is the LSEI?

•A Lunar Space Elevator Infrastructure is a system built around a Ribbon reaching from the surface of the Lunar near-side, to substantially beyond the first Earth-Moon Lagrange point (EML1).–One side of the Ribbon is attached to the Lunar surface.

–The other side is kept taut by a CounterWeight. (CW)•The opposing force is the gravitational tidal force of the Earth.

•(Not rotational centrifugal force).

–Tidal force is balanced against the gravitational force of the Moon.•The entire LSEI is in a dynamically stable Earth-Moon orbit.

•The large Earth-Moon distance means that, while the dynamical forces are relatively small – to obtain sufficient tension – either a very long Ribbon or a very large CounterWeight is required.–Any prototype LSEI will be weight limited, and long.

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LSE Science●We are focusing on science directly related to monitoring, navigating or controlling the elevator, including the Microrover and the Lunar sample return as proof of concepts.–We will use LLR retroreflectors for navigation; these also should provide solid science for decades after the landing.●We are seeking partners for science opportunities, both on the descent, with the Counterweight, and with the landing platform.●What follows is what we see as some of the science opportunities afforded by the LSE.–We feel confident that others will emerge...

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Conclusions●The DSTP and the LSEI offer a means of–Getting to the Moon again in an entirely new fashion, using currently available technology.

–The DSTP is the linch-pin for all future megastructure developments, and should provide a lunar sample return from a currently inaccessible region.

–The LSEI would provide continuing access to the Lunar surface, plus sample returns and a Lunar transportation infrastructure, for the cost of a Discovery Class mission.●This is for existing fibers - while even a modest improvement in fiber technology would bring substantial improvements in payload capacity, we do not require this.●The DSTP and the LSEI offer a path to a man-rated LSE and a Phobos-anchored Mars elevator.●This is Space 2.0 : space exploration for the 21st-century, not just an attempt to repeat what was done 40 years ago.

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The LSEI is also good science●In the prototype, a small solar powered climber will be lowered to the Lunar surface, scientific instruments will be deployed and the climber be loaded with surface samples.●The climber will then climb back to a sample return capsule, located at the EML 1 Lagrange point.●The climber plus sample return capsule will be taken to a suitable altitude above EML 1 for return to Earth.–Sample return via the LSE requires no expenditure of fuel.

CURRENT PRODUCTS:

•Http://liftport.com/Tethered-Towers for disaster response

•Robotics ASU http://www.agorastartupidol.com/startup.php?id=102

•Consulting, Teaching, Speaking Engagements, Books

•Nonprofit education with LeewardSpaceFoundation.org developing Liftport.org and interns and Space Elevator Invitational, Seattle quarterly

•Http://on.fb.me/Heokqx Open Source apps

•Link to https://github.com/LiftportGroup/LiftPort/wiki MEDIA: http://stars-space.com art, Tours http://youtube.com/elevatortospace, film, social media

LiftPortal Web – Michelle Cadieux •IT/ Education and Mobile apps development See http://on.me.fb/Heokqx facebook fanpage for https://github.com/LiftportGroup/LiftPort/wik

•Business plans for NASA Tech Partnerships, AMES, Space Frontier Foundation, Leeward Space Foundation

•Business competitions: http://spaceappschallenge.org and ATT in partnership with startup hackathons, incubators and accelerators across the country.

•SF: StartupIdol, Greenstart, Launch, Singularity Institute SynBio, Biocurious, AssayDepot, Twilio, Founders groups. (Proposed: Stanford StartX, 59daysofcode, codeforamerica, )

•Startup America, Random Hacks of Kindness, MassChallenge Boston, Pitch Milwaukee, MN; Project Skyway, MN Open (ycombinator- MC), Citrix, Bizspark, and more

•Social media presence. Facebook, list of sites.

•(Adam Glickman Quality Engineering nano projects)

Deployment

• Solar Electric Propulsion

• Deployment

• Lawn-Darts on the Moon

• Manned Lifter

• PicoGravity Manufacturing Lab

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Why

• Greed– Clean, Green, Limitless Energy of Earth

• Fear– Single Point of Failure Species

• Hope– Settlement, Science, Spinoffs + Resources

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Get Involved

• Sum of Human Knowledge– Technology– Business– Outreach– Framework

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Michael Laine, President

• www.liftport.com

• @mlaine

• (862) Get-LF8D – (862) 438-5383

• laine@liftport.com

• about.me/michaellaine

• www.facebook.com/liftport

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