Space Elevator News Bulletin and More

The Space Elevator Blog has a detailed newsletter update on the Space Elevator Games and more from the Spaceward Foundation. The newsletter has a lot of pictures and hints about the venue and what will happen at the different locations that make the games sound even more exciting. There is also a roundup of the numerous competing teams, each with its own strengths and "personalities".

Another Space Elevator Blog post is about an update from LaserMotive in their "Meet the Team" series. This one is on Jordin Kare, Chief Engineer of the team.

Here's one on the pros and cons of holding multiple events together. I can see the downside of holding them together; I wonder if the X PRIZE Cup will have a similar experience within the Holloman Air Show? We'll have to wait and see how that works out. It might be ideal if related events could be held separately (in space and time), but close enough (in space and time) to easily get from one to the other. I guess the X PRIZE Cup and Personal Spaceflight Symposium are an example. I also liked how the Heinlein Centennial was set up to make a couple related events accessible. This comment may actually apply more to some of the other Centennial Challenges, since the Space Elevator Games seem to be growing each year, and this year have a full-blown festival-like event for the public planned.

Finally, who know these 2 were Space Elevator fans?

I've become a big fan of Google Earth and SketchUp. The Kansas City Space Pirates show us an animation of the Space Elevator Games area, with the huge climber test rig set up, in Google Earth using the modeling capabilities of SketchUp.