The space elevator has been simmering for three decades:

Can scientists make a space elevator?

Now, 30 years after “2001″ author Arthur C. Clarke wrote about an elevator that rises into outer space, serious research is happening all over the world in an effort to make the far-fetched-sounding idea a reality.

This week it moved another step closer to reality:

Space elevator climbs nearly 1 km high

As part of a $2 million compeition, a laser-powered robot has successfully climbed a cable nearly a kilometre long dangling from a helicopter.

The long-term goal is to create a cheap way of getting objects into orbit by simply lifting them to orbit with an elevator climbing a fixed cable.

Details on the space elevator competition:

This year’s goal:

Build a laser powered robot to climb up a helicopter-suspended cable 1 kilometer high without any onboard energy storage in an average of 5 meters per second.

The three teams:
- LaserMotive
- USST
- Kansas City Space Pirates

Success in ’space elevator’ competition

LaserMotive’s vehicle zipped up to the top in just over four minutes and immediately repeated the feat, qualifying for at least a $900,000 second-place prize.

The device, a square of photo voltaic panels about 2 feet by 2 feet and topped by a motor structure and thin triangle frame, had failed to respond to the laser three times before it was lowered, inspected and then hoisted back up by the helicopter for the successful tries.

In its final form, the space elevator will look something like this:

See also: How the launch loop works