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Funded! This project successfully raised its funding goal on September 13, 2012.

January 1 – 15, 2013

Update #16 · Jan 17, 2013 · 14 comments
January 1 – 15, 2013
Public Service Announcement
Hi. I was offline for a week at the beginning of the year. I’m not going to go into details. But let me just say this – if you love anyone in the world – then please, please, please, ensure that you have a will and any other medical/health directives needed, and be very clear about what sort of arrangements you want when you die. If you have children – this is critically important. If you have children, it is also important that you leave enough money behind so that the people who want to carry out your desires have the financial capacity to honor your last wishes.

Special surprise in T-shirt Shipments
A very small group of the folks receiving their t-shirts this week will also receive something odd, unique and unusual. I’m sorry that I can’t send this to everyone, but I took the next 16 names off the pile and added in something to their package. This is the letter I included:

Hi, Here’s a surprise in your package.
Last weekend, my engineers and I were working to establish a strength baseline for some of the critical threads needed for the experiment.
This string was MUCH weaker than we were expecting – we were told it was going to have a breaking point of 400lbs, and it was closer to 75-90lbs. This was totally unacceptable.
So I spent the day looking for more/better ribbon material. Since ‘everything’ depends on this, it’s the logical first step.
I’ve decided to include little bits of the thread for you folks to look at. This material is very similar to the kind of string we will use on the Lunar Space Elevator Infrastructure. The irony here is that while it probably is good enough for the Moon, it is NOT good enough to test the precursor systems we have here on Earth.
You’ll notice that each thread is made up of hundreds of individual filaments. Individually, they might seems weak. But in fact, on a strength to weight ratio; these threads are 2.5 times stronger than steel. I hope you like them.
Take care,
Mjl Michael Laine
President, LiftPort Group

YouTube Channel
We added a new member to the LiftPort team here at headquarters; Christopher Maddox. His primary job – and the specific task I hired him for – is the Kickstarter fulfillment. He’s off to a good start with that.

But during the interview I discovered something very important. He’s got over a year of videography under his belt. In fairness, these are not tremendous credentials; they are simply from the local high school where he graduated in 2012. But what he lacks in experience, he more than makes up for with dogged determination. So, without further ado, we are experimenting with the Video Channel we promised in the Kickstarter campaign. (Several of you volunteered to help with this. If you’re seriously interesting, now is the time to get involved – send me a message and I’ll connect you with Chris.)

Please take a look at our first videos. Right now, there is no rhyme or reason to it. We’re just trying to catalog the day’s events, and also to add a little ‘lesson’ about the things needed for the Elevator to Space.

But we are developing a short- mid- and long-term plan for where we want to go with this stuff. Stay tuned!

We’d love to have some feedback on our first attempts. (Be gentle, this is completely new to me… and just wait ‘til you see the ‘bloopers’ real we are putting together!)


And please subscribe to the YouTube channel to receive updates when we post them. (And if you like it, please tell your friends/social media contacts!)

‘Bot Progress
If you watched the videos, you’ll know that we made some limited progress on the robot this weekend. We’re starting to hone in on the Ribbon, and once we have that solved, then the ‘bot will progress much faster. Every design decision we make is derived from the string: how strong, how slippery, how wide and how thick. I know this seems like pretty basic stuff, but until we’ve got those details resolved, we can’t commit to a specific design.

Once we have that, then we start looking at total climbing altitude ~23,000 ft (~7km when you consider wind-drift of the Ribbon/Balloon away from its starting point). That is an arbitrary number: chosen solely because it would be taller than Mt. McKinley – so that it would be the tallest thing in North America. But then we have to choose our speed: 1, 2, 3, or 4 hours. The longer we’re aloft the more likely the cold-soak will affect and impact our equipment. (Personally, I’m betting on the balloons cracking and releasing the helium.) So I’d like us to climb very very quickly. If we climb 7km/hour then we’re moving at 1.95 meters/second! And that’s possible, but it adds a huge burden on the batteries and that means more weight, and that may be a bad scenario.

So right now, it’s all about trade studies and spreadsheets. It’s not as much fun as building the robot, but it’s an essential precursor step.

Member Cards
I’m very excited about this next piece of news! The upload tool for the Card Carrying Supporter wallet card is now online!


I’m sending a specific letter through Kickstarter for the details. But I hope that you’ll like this as much as I do. I’m really looking forward to this.

This is a temporary link as we rebuild and upgrade the official LiftPort website. There are over 3000 of you eligible for this reward – and I can’t wait for you to get it!

Also, please notice that there is a “question” section at the bottom of the page. If you have some question you’d like answered – about the Earth or the Lunar Elevator or LiftPort Group in general – just ask it here. I’ll organize the questions into categories and answer as many as I can through the Video Channel above. This question process also serves another purpose… which I’ll describe later.

Communications

Finally, I just wanted to let you know that the communications team is hard at work too. I’ll detail their effort next week – but they are making solid progress on the communications, video, telemetry and science cargo of the robot.

Take care, Mjl Michael Laine President, LiftPort Group

P.s. Tomorrow I’ll get back to telling the tale of the Epic Trip… I haven’t even gotten to the ‘good parts’ yet.


14 Comments

Mountain View

Update #15 · Dec 29, 2012 · 6 comments
2012 October 17
Now, on with the continuing adventures of the California Trip. I’m kind of rushed this evening (it’s the last Friday of 2012… and the world didn’t end…) so I’m only covering 2 days.

Mountain View – Mikael Lubansky, PhD
O.k., let’s set the scene a little. It’s about 9pm on Wednesday night in Mountain View. Every bar and restaurant is packed with the young, (wealthy) and trendy folks of this Silicon Valley bedroom community. We’re two miles from NASA Ames Research Center, eight miles from Stanford University and nine miles from the epicenter of Venture Capital – Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park. Get the picture? It’s kind of busy, but busy with a certain kind of technoratti / digital elite / hacker / slacker / retired-young-and-looking-for-a-way-to-stop-being-bored.

In other words, this is not really my typical hang-out.

I’m here to meet a friend of a friend; and I know very little about him. I am unprepared.

He’s a former Soviet Union guy. And at times I can’t tell whether he’s a scientist, military, or secret police… or perhaps all three blur together in this man. I’m not kidding.

He’s fascinating. His bursts of anger and distain for all sorts of political systems is both endearing and a little unnerving. He did not fare well when the USSR collapsed – and he’s very bitter.

We are meeting because my friend tells me that he’s got a nanotechnology for batteries and super-capacitors. He describes it in very very broad terms, so that I cannot possibly copy it (but this also means that I cannot verify whether he is a crackpot or a genius). He claims that with his super-capacitor he could ‘fill-up’ in San Fanscico, drive to New York, and ‘run out of juice’ on the return trip… ‘somewhere around Kansas.’

What I’m left with is this – IF we could get a hazardous materials handling license, and develop a small laboratory for about $20k (he says he has most of the equipment in his garage already), then he guarantees me that he can develop the system…

He pays for dinner / drinks and I leave less enlightened than I was when I showed up… But it was an entertaining meeting.

I’m convinced that he is convinced that he has something real… but that’s not the same thing as me saying that I am convinced he has something real… I’m unconvinced. Needless to say, he did not pry the money from me. But I don’t want to dismiss him. My gut says that there is something here. I’m gonna dig a little more. I might pursue this once I have a little space cash. Right now, while I’m spending the money you have entrusted to me, there is no way I’ll part with that much cash on a hunch. No way.

2012 October 18 

Mountain View – Hacker Dojo – Arman Papazian, PhD

I had a very fun event at Hacker Dojo. Hacker Dojo was one of the very early ‘maker spaces’ that have been popping up all over the place. Some of my friends are founding members. It’s a terrific environment for creativity and building. I was impressed.

The event that we held had almost a dozen people – about half were friends and the other half were fans of the project.

It was great because I had never met my friends in person. We’d talked on the phone and worked together on various space projects, one of them is on my Board of Advisors, but we had never met in person… That was great. Arman recently gave a very interesting talk in the Space Show, and years ago he helped create the stock exchange in Dubai (later bought by the NASDAQ).
As for the fans, I’m grateful that they came. It’s especially fun meeting some of the folks that backed this campaign. 

We broke the evening up into parts. The first half we held ‘online’. We are testing a technology called StartMeeting that we are considering using for our Group Chats. (I am as-yet-unconvinced that this is the right tool for the job… but don’t yet have a better solution.) So we had another dozen on the ‘net and I gave a short presentation and answered questions.

Honestly, it wasn’t my best performance because I was torn between trying to connect with my face-to-face audience, and with my online community. I personally don’t think I did either very well. That said, folks seemed to like it.

Once the online version was over, it was time to relax and that gave me a chance to get to know the folks in a more personal and direct way. And we had beer… That was much better.

Take care, Mjl Michael Laine President, LiftPort Group
6 Comments

Good News: Part 1 – California Trip

Update #14 · Dec 28, 2012 · 6 comments

Good News – California Trip

As promised, I’ve got a lot of good news to share with you folks. But first a quick fulfillment update:

T-Shirts for Christmas / New Year’s
The first batch of about 40 shirts were delivered in time for Christmas. Consider the timing involved these shirts were only shipped in the US, but I got confirmation from several people that they were received in time and that people liked them. I’ve very pleased we were able to accommodate you folks! (I’m wearing mine right now as I type this.)

Second Batch
I’ll ship the second batch tomorrow, and I think they will (mostly) arrive before New Year’s. It will be about 30 in the US and another 35 internationally. Naturally, if they are shipping beyond the US border, it’s going to take longer. 

2012 October 15 

So now I’ll begin to detail the grand tour that I went on. Before I start I want to thank all of you. It was a very very fun trip. No, I didn’t go on a world tour on your money for the fun of it. While it was a lot of fun, the reason and goal and the results of this trip were all focused around getting the Elevator built! I think you’ll be very pleased with what I accomplished.

Olympia – Bryan Laubscher, PhD.

The ‘California’ segment of the trip was by car. I live in Seattle and driving to San Francisco area doesn’t take all that much time, about a day. And we needed the car, because we had stops along the way and if we flew, then we’d just end up renting a car anyway, so this made more sense – economically.

First off, we start early in the morning because we’ve got stops to make along the way. So we leave the Seattle region about 630 so that we can be in Olympia by 8am and meet with Dr. Bryan Laubscher. Bryan is the ONLY person on the project that outdates me! I was the second ‘employee’ after Dr Edwards, but Bryan was a good friend of Edwards, and so he had been involved as a sounding-board before I came on as staff. Since Edwards has left the project (several years ago now) that makes Laubscher and I (depending on how you count it) the most senior of all Elevator people.

I like Bryan. But I didn’t always. He and I have had many many a disagreement and argument about how to proceed with the program. He has problems with how I run things. He is a physicist – looking for order in the universe, and I’m an entrepreneur – which means I’m always trying to profit from chaotic/imbalanced market forces. We are fundamentally different kinds of people; and for a long time these differences kept us from respecting the other person’s contributions. Over time that evolved. It’s a lot better now.

So I was looking forward to breakfast with him. It was great. We met at a roadside Denny’s (cheap and convenient to the freeway) and had a nice talk. Bryan is working on a Nanotech development that he thinks could solve a significant problem with the tangling problem of carbon nanotubes. He’s filed some patents, but they have not been approved yet; so I’m not going to say anything further on this. We talked about Kickstarter and building communities and how to get the KS folks more deeply involved with the overall effort.

Portland – Charles Radley, MSc.

We get a little further and it’s time to catch lunch with Charles Radley. Now Charles is an interesting guy. (Let’s face it, anyone that is seriously involved with building an Elevator in Space probably has an interesting back-story.) Some people don’t like Charles because he’s got a hot temper. I like him because of that trait – it shows passion and conviction.

Charles has a long-ago background in satellite communications, and is a pretty serious data and software tester. Charles and I crossed paths the first time about 6 years ago at a Science Fiction Convention here in Seattle. We quickly became friends (despite the occasional loud disagreement!) and even considered starting a business together. Ultimately that business never got started, but we were pretty serious about buying Jamesburg Station (more on that in a moment) about 5 years ago. 

Charles and I had to hash out some details regarding the “1000 Questions Database”. Briefly the “1kQ” is one of the organizing tools we need in order to build the Elevator. It’s based off the concept that “we don’t even know all the questions, yet, let alone have all the answers…” So we need a tracking tool that can identify the questions, and then systematically allow people to ‘join’ a question, form a team, conduct literature reviews and experimental research and eventually develop conclusive ‘answers’ (with the appropriate trade studies) so that we can get this thing built. And once we did, it was time to get back on the road.

Salem – David Appell, PhD.

We were supposed to stop in Salem to meet with Dr. David Appell, but he was sick and asked us to postpone until our return. So we did… (but we didn’t get to meet him on our way home either, as it was 330am when we driving through his area almost 13 days later. So far, of a 17+ hour trip from Port Orchard Washington to Carmel Valley California, we’ve only been on the road for about 3 hour, and we’ve spend more time in coffee shops and cafes than actual road-time. We’ve got to turn up the speed.

2012 October 16

Carmel – Jamesburg Station  (A fascinating article on it.)


Our destination for the first morning is the old Lunar communications relay system known as Jamesburg Station. Why? Because it’s for sale and I want to buy it. I realize when I’m going down there that I can’t buy it. The KS money is not nearly enough. But for what it is, it’s cheap. So what is Jamesburg? Ignore for a moment that this was the dish that allowed Neil Armstrong’s famous footprints to be beamed from the Moon to the Earth and an astounded human population. Ignore the fact that this Cold War era relic is near-miss-nuclear-bomb-proof. Ignore the economic reality that to build this asset from scratch would cost 10-15 times the current purchase price. Yup, ignore all that.

Instead focus on these facts: 1) LiftPort needs a home for her staff, 2) we need a remote region for high-alt robotics and balloon testing 3) we need to talk to the Moon if we’re really going to build our Elevator, 4) an asset like this is rarely sold, ever. So while I knew I couldn’t (personally) afford it, I wanted to kick the tires. I thought I might have a way of purchasing it, but it turns out that I don’t. If anyone would like to talk about Jamesburg, and has the capital or financing available, I’d like to chat. It’s a heck of an asset and LiftPort must have it, or something very very similar. And I like this communications station for many reasons – both economic and sentimental. 

So we drove all night, and slept in the car under the stars. Because it is such a remote location, the stars were brilliant. The Milky Way was crystal clear and the moment I got out of the car and looked up – I saw a shooting star. At that particular moment, I felt pretty good. 

San Jose – Wild Goose Chase 

So after meeting with the realtor – who wasn’t very pleasant nor helpful – we had a meeting scheduled with the owner. So we scurry back up the highway to San Jose and meet with the seller. Turns out he was none-too-interested in making a deal. As I said, I’d been interested in Jamesburg for about 5 years. Charles and I drove down and met the owner back then and agreed to a price. Now, 5 years later, I spoke with the owner just 6 weeks prior and he quoted a price very similar to the price of 5 years ago… but now when I’m suddenly sitting in his office again, he’s unacceptably rude, overbearing and childish… and he’s raised the price an extra million dollars for no apparent reason. So ya, that was a pretty frustrating waste of time. Moving on… 

2012 October 17 

Monterey – Simon Chang, PhD. 

Here’s where things start to get interesting – in a hurry. 

I’d met Dr. Chang several times. He was interested in using our Tethered Towers system for high-altitude weather research during the LiftPort 1.0 days. But every time I’d ever come to him, I was always asking for research grants so that we could do our experiments… in essence I was always asking him for money and six times in a row he declined. But now, with the KS funds in hand, now I could talk to him about something else. 

You see, the US Navy’s Research Lab has its Weather Directorate in Monterey. It is their job to oversee the world’s weather and give updates. They use a variety of tools to do this – ground sensors, balloons, and satellites being the most common. But our Tethered Tower is a new kind of tool. They recognized its significance right away. And now I think they are going to pay to use our altitude. In other words, I think we’ve got our first client! 

So while I’m grateful for the 2nd chance that Kickstarter has given our program, I’m equally happy that after the Kickstarter funds run out; after we’ve completed our Tethered Tower robotics experiment of 7km – that we’ll have a paying customer that will allow us to continue with our research! 

It’s not a huge contract, and like any good drug-dealer business model “the first one’s free”. But if they like the kind of data they receive, then they are already planning on buying more, later. 

I want to stress – we have a handshake deal, and not a contract with a check… so a lot could go wrong. But assuming it goes right, then this client is enough to keep the staff paid while we continue our Robotics research. There were 9 people in the room for this meeting, Simon had brought in all of his department heads. Each one had a different use for our system. So this is an ongoing negotiation. But I’m very very happy with it. 

There’s still 10 more days left in this trip, and I haven’t even gotten to the ‘really’ good stuff yet. So bear with me; I’ll let this story unfold over a couple days. I’d said that it was going to be 4 update; 1 of bad news and 3 of good news. But with the length of this update I can see this is going to stretch out a bit. 

Take care Mjl 

Michael Laine President, LiftPort Group


6 Comments

T-Shirts are here! Want them for Christmas?

Update #13 · Dec 21, 2012 · 6 comments
IMPORTANT – T-shirts
The first of the t-shirts arrived! If you really really need a shirt for Christmas - I can get SOME of them in the mail tomorrow. IF that happens, then there is a good chance (within the US) that the packages will arrive on Monday, Christmas Eve.

I have to prioritize somehow, and I’m gonna focus on the kids. Those will be the first I ship. Then it will be on a first-come-first-served basis and I’ll get as many of these shipped as I possibly can.

Here’s what I need you to do – Send me an email RIGHT AWAY ( Elsie@ you-know-our-company-website-name .com ) with the following info:

1) Your name/Kickstarter handle
2) Name & Address of where to deliver it
3) Shirt Size – Small, Medium, Large, X-Large
4) Male, Female or Youth
5) Design Style / Tagline

     a. Unleashing Humanity from the Tyranny of Gravity

    b. There is a profound difference between difficult, very very hard, and impossible. 

Who does this apply to? If you bought a t-shirt directly for $35, or anyone $50 or over. 

Reward update - $100 Get Involved 

Somehow, I forgot to post this one yesterday. See notes for Art, Talk and T-shirt above. Are you ready to actually “get involved”? Because in January, that’s what I’ll expect (hope!). I’ll try to get most of our calls in during that month, and while we’re at it, I’ll attempt to figure out how you can participate (if you want to) in the biggest thing, ever. I’ve a set of questions I’ll pose, month after month through a detailed survey. This will be incorporated into the LiftPort newsletter, and I’ll post your results in the following month. I went to an event while I was traveling that really made me think… And I’ll tell you about it in tomorrow’s update. But my first question revolves around ‘open science/open source’ technology. 

 I was gonna post an update about the big trip I was on, but this reward stuff trumps that plan. 

Take care, 

Mjl 

Michael Laine 

President, LiftPort Group


6 Comments

Update Series 1 of 4 - Rewards

Update #12 · Dec 19, 2012 · 29 comments
Bad News – Kickstarter Schwag Delayed – 2012, December 18 

I have lots and lots of ‘good news’.

But first, we’re going to start with ‘bad news’. I really don’t try to sugar-coat things. So read through this. But please keep one thing in mind – that even though the fulfillment of your rewards is way behind schedule, I’ve made huge progress in other areas. I’ll detail that progress in the next few days. 

One lesson I’ve recently learned is that I need to be MUCH more proactive in posting updates. So here goes – Update 1 of 4 this week. 

Choices I Made 

I have an apology to make to you; I’m sorry. I’ve made a couple mistakes, and because they have compounded, I have not gotten your Rewards to you when I said I would. I know some of you were counting on these for Christmas or Hanukkah – I’m really sorry.

So how did I get in this predicament? Lots of reasons, really. 

Ultimately, it comes down to choices. I looked at what was happening with the KS Rewards, I looked at the Kickstarter Math (below) and figured that I had a very very short window if I wanted to get – not just this specific experiment built and flying – but if I also wanted to actually build an Elevator on the Moon – I had to act quickly. So I made a choice. I would go on a ‘grand tour’ and respond to the people that most wanted to help with the big project. With me traveling, I chose to hire someone to oversee the Kickstarter fulfillment… It seemed like a good idea at the time. (I will write a LOT of details about this trip in the next 3 updates.) 


Staff Hired 
So I hired Michelle – and she’s terrific. She started out as a volunteer 9 months ago and quickly got herself promoted to full-time staff (the ONLY one besides me)! I got her set up; and then I got into an airplane. 

Not Her Fault 
But she simply could not do the job. It was ‘impossible’ – and you know me well enough to know that I don’t use that word lightly or often. When I returned from my travels – 6 weeks later! – she and I had a long talk. We decided she’d slip back to what she was good at – a valuable and talented volunteer – and that I’d find someone who was better able to handle what she refers to as “Kickstarter Hell”. 
 So now it’s back to being ‘just me’ for the time being. I am going to hire someone to help out; I need to. But that hasn’t happened yet. 

Inadequate Resources 

I’ve examined a bunch of KS campaigns. Many (most!) of them don’t deliver on time – especially the ones that go way beyond the expectations of the campaign. I was determined that I’d not make the same mistakes the other campaigns do… and yet I did anyway. I think the kind of person that starts a KS project is naturally optimistic. Certainly anyone crazy enough to build an Elevator on the Moon must have huge reserves of optimism. And in both cases, that self-confidence compels the KS organizer to over-promise. I did. But there is something else at work, something I didn’t realize until I was in the daily grind of actually doing the fulfillment – that this stuff is hard! There is a reason I’m building robots and organizing research and not building a web store filled with t-shirts, art, jewelry and other stuff… because I don’t know how to do that stuff; I know how to build robots that climb into the sky! And every ‘successful’ KS campaign that brings in 14x its original goal must navigate these unknown and uncertain waters. I’m learning, but it’s a clumsy process. 

These news articles are worth reading. I’m NOT using them as an excuse for what when wrong, but it does help to explain common Kickstarter problems. By CNN/Money standards we are “slightly tardy”. By my US Marine Corps standards “late is late”. I doesn’t matter if we’re just a little bit; that excuse doesn’t work for me. 

http://money.cnn.com/gallery/technology/2012/12/18/kickstarter-ship-late/index.html 

http://money.cnn.com/2012/12/18/technology/innovation/kickstarter-ship-delay/index.html 


Kickstarter Math and Time 
The campaign started at the end of August, the campaign ran for three weeks (ending September 13) and then there is another (almost) three weeks before the money actually shows up in our checking account. So we didn’t really get started on your fulfillment until the beginning of October. You’d think two months to get the stuff designed, developed, ordered, packaged and shipped out – seems pretty reasonable right? It’s not. It’s ridiculously optimistic. But I had no way of knowing that when I launched the campaign. This is especially complicated if the so-called ‘leader’ (me) is traveling! 

Rewards Status Report 
So before I begin my status report, I look at the following list of rewards and shake my head. What was I thinking to have so many reward levels? So here goes! 

$1 Friend of LiftPort (3,468 total) We’ve got the art finished for your badges, and now we just need to create the database of users and link the two. The “official” LiftPort newsletter will begin in January. I think that’s a good way to start the New Year. I’ve sent out the Kickstarter-only email address to everyone, already. (GetLF8D@ our company name .com) Please ensure that you use that – as it is the fastest way to reach me directly. And even though there are ~3500 of you – I want to ensure that I read and respond to you first! We have the list of names of all of you, and this will be inscribed on the robot, Neil, when it climbs! 

$3 Greeting Card (3183 total) We have the first style complete, and we’re working on the 2nd and 3rd. Once that’s done, we’ll send a survey so you can choose which one you like. Important note: because Kickstarter only allows one survey, we’ll be going through a different service. Look for a message from PopSurvey next month. 

$5 Ribbon and Greeting Card (3160 total) There was a huge problem with getting the string. Far more difficult than I anticipated. But that is solved now, and the string should arrive on Thursday or Friday this week. I’m relieved – we had to delay the robot design until we could get our hands on this stuff. So once the $3 Cards are finished, we’ll be able to attach the Ribbon and send these out. 

$8 Card Carrying Supporter (3023 total) This remains my favorite reward item. I am so happy with this. I have the mock-up in my wallet right now and it’s terrific! We were going to give this laminated card that was kinda cheesy, but one of YOU – a fan – came through with a MUCH better idea. So we switched gears and raised the quality a lot. We’ve built an online tool that you will need to fill out. You will be able to customize this – your name, location, title – whatever you want. And you’ll be able to upload a photo/avatar of your choice. This upload tool MIGHT be available on Wednesday next week (but the holidays are jinxing my plans…) And the MYSTERY surprise starts in January along with the LiftPort newsletter. 

$9 Friendship Bracelet (356 + 73 +156 total 585) For the same reason the Ribbon was delayed getting to us, we’ve been delayed getting this started. We have some of the hardware for bracelets that are more feminine, but we don’t have everything. And the stuff for the guys isn’t even on order yet – because it hasn’t been designed yet. As for labor to actually build these things? I’m about to recruit some child from a developing nation… (kidding!) because every source I’ve turned to has declined. I’ll figure something out, but it’s gonna be a while. Sorry. I’m trying. 

$12 Art Print (159 total) This got off to a slow and rocky start, but it’s starting to smooth out. I’m hoping these are in production soon. Expect surveys early-mid January. Because we had so many of these, we were able to increase the size from 5x7 to 8x10 – so I’m pleased with that. 

$15 Group Talk (68 + 67 +31 + 289 + 9 + 12 + 10 + 4 + 6 + 9 total 505) This is going to be kind of insane!. Assume 10 people per talk, at 2 hours each is about 100 hours of just me talking… And I have to get all this other stuff done too! But honestly, I like talking, so this will be fun! About 70 of you pledged this directly, but the bulk of these were because they were included in other reward levels. I’m really looking forward to talking with you! Because of that, I’ll concentrate these talks in January and February. I’ll plan on 10-15 people per conversation, and stagger them so that we cover a variety of time-zones, and various communications technology. I’ll send you folks a private message to give you some options. I’ve created a webtool that will help us schedule these. 

$20 Necklace & Bracelet (73 + 156 total 229) See Jewelry note above. Some of the parts are sitting in my office. I don’t have the labor to tackle this yet. Perhaps I’ll enlist my family over the holidays – “You can’t have any turkey until you finish at least 2 more necklaces…” 

$25 Medium Art Print (230 + 31 + 289 + 9 + 12 + 10 + 4 + 6 +9 total 600) See Art note above. Because we’re getting a good rate on printing, expect a bonus – TWO prints! Give one to a friend, or give both to that person you owe a Christmas present to and tell them I’m sorry it was late! 

$35 Necklace, Bracelet, & Earrings (156 total) See Jewelry note above. I don’t have any witty comments. I know some of you guys were counting on them for presents (one guy promised them to his wife for their anniversary!) and I know that some of you ladies were hoping to show off your geek-cred at parties. I’m sorry that these are late. 

$35 T-shirt (341 + 67 + 31 + 289 + 9 + 12 + 10 + 4 + 6 + 9 total 778) This is one of the few bright points in this chaotic mess. The T-shirts are shipping. I have a tracking number and expect them on Thursday. There’s no way I can turn these around and get them shipped to ya before Christmas, but I want you to know that I honestly tried… So we have 400 shirts en route; which is not enough. That’s 200 each of 2 designs. We are going to create a third and fourth design. I really like these shirts and can’t wait to wear them! 

$40 Meet-up (19 total) I’ve met with a few of you already – and that’s great! Thanks! Starting with the New Year I will systematically approach this and contact each of you. We’ll figure out, specifically, how and when we will hold our meet-up. I’ll be in Los Angeles in January, so that’s likely the first to cross off the list. I’m looking forward to this! But what happens at these Meet-ups does not stay there = expect us to tweet and post pictures. I’ve created a webtool that will help us schedule these. 

$50 – T-shirt + Group Talk (67 total) See T-shirt and Talk notes above. P.s. besides the many guys’ shirts, we also have lots of gals’ and kids sizes and shapes too! $50 Street Team (7 total) I’ve met with one of these already, and had long conversations with some. But that’s a story for another day… (Actually, I plan to write about it in the 3rd update of this series, so be patient.) But there is still a lot we can do with the Street team, so expect a call! 

$75 Shirt, Talk & Print (31 total) See notes for Art, Talk and T-shirt above. And you’ve honestly got my sincere thanks! $100 Get Involved (289 + 9 + 9 + 12 + 10 + 4 + 6 + 9 total 348) See notes for Art, Talk and T-shirt above. Are you ready to actually “get involved”? Because in January, that’s what I’ll expect (hope!). I’ll try to get most of our calls in during that month, and while we’re at it, I’ll attempt to figure out how you can participate (if you want to) in the biggest thing, ever. I’ve a set of questions I’ll pose, month after month through a detailed survey. This will be incorporated into the LiftPort newsletter, and I’ll post your results in the following month. I went to an event while I was traveling that really made me think… And I’ll tell you about it in tomorrow’s update. But my first question revolves around ‘open science/open source’ technology. 

$100 Advertise (12 + 9 + 12 + 10 + 4 + 6 + 9 total 62) Some of this has already happened. I’ll follow up with the rest as we finalize our new website this month. 

$150 Exclusive Chat (9 total) See notes for Art, Talk, T-shirt, and Involved above. I apologize, but I’ve not really tackled this yet. I hope when you read the next 3 updates this week, that you’ll appreciate that I’ve been busy. And I appreciate that the only reason I was able to be ‘busy’ was because our community of supporters committed the capital to allow me to do this stuff. I’ll make you folks a priority with the New Year! Like with the Group Chat above, I’ve created webtool that will help us schedule these. 

$250 Walk on Part (9 total) See notes for Art, Talk, T-shirt, and Involved above. I’ve communicated with many of you, but not all. Some of you are joining my Board of Advisors, and some have joined as part of the volunteer corps! I’m grateful – thanks! As for the rest, we are targeting March for the robotic experiment, and probably later in the Spring Summer for the “jumpers”. So you should have a choice of two different opportunities to be a part of history! There are far too many variables for me to pin down dates yet, so don’t buy a plane ticket yet. But I’ll keep you posted. As for locations, we considering the Oregon coast or in the deep wilderness/desert behind San Diego. We want to start at ‘sea level’, if possible. The FAA will help guide this choice. A lot. 

$250 Video Channel (12 + 10 + 4 + 6 + 9 total 41) See notes for Art, Talk, T-shirt, Involved, and Advertise above. This might be the ONLY reward that comes in on time! January was the initial plan and I think that’s still on target. I’ve taken some classes (amateur, through friends) and think I’ve got a few ideas on how this will work. Initially, I’ll incorporate this in with a book club, and over time I’ll include interviews with ‘space elevator people’. So stay tuned! $300 Educations Kits (3x) (10 total) See notes for Art, Talk, T-shirt, Involved, and Advertise above. Lots to tell about this reward. But I’ll save this until the 4th of this series of updates. 

$500 Speaker (4 total) See notes for Art, Talk, T-shirt, Involved, and Advertise above. No activity on this yet. I’ve dates for 2 of them, and still need to connect with some folks. The events that I do have booked, I’ll post about when the dates come around. 

$500 Jump! (6 total) See notes for Art, Talk, T-shirt, Involved, and Advertise above. I’ve spoken to two jump-masters and have the beginnings of what we’ll need for you folks. But don’t buy your plane tickets just yet. We’ve talked it over, and we don’t think that it’s safe to have you folks jumping on the same system that our robot is climbing. Instead, we’ll do this as two separate adventures – first the robot in the Spring, and then you folks when the weather is better in the summer. You won’t get to jump until after the robot test is successful. 

$750 Carbon Nanotube Wedding Rings (9 total) See notes for Art, Talk, T-shirt, Involved, and Advertise above. I’ve only spoken to two of you, so I need better communications with the rest. What I really need from you is deadlines – when is the wedding? I can plan my workload around that. It takes me about 3 days to complete a design – but I might need weeks to clear those 3 days, so we need to talk.
 
$1000 Custom Art (3 total) See notes for Art, Talk, T-shirt, Involved, Chat, and Advertise above. I’ve spoken to 1 of the 3. So this needs to change. Expect me to hound you in January until this is resolved to your satisfaction! We’ve had several (7) original items created, but we still have not satisfied this requirement. 

Good News – Coming 
So with all this stuff, what’s up with the robot? What about the trip that I took? What’s on the schedule for the spring and summer? And what about the company of LiftPort – what’s happening there? For answers to these questions and more, stay tuned. I’ll post some of this stuff tomorrow. And the next day and the day after that. I know a lot of you don’t want updates like this – in bursts, but I’ve not posted anything in two months, and there has been a lot going on. Take care, And thanks for your support (and patience)! Mjl Michael Laine President, LiftPort Group
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Aug 23, 2012 - Sep 13, 2012 (21 days)

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  • Pledge $1 or more

    285 backers

    FRIEND OF LIFTPORT: What do ya get for a dollar these days? Newsletter emails about the project. Links to behind-the-scenes images, and technical reports. FRIEND badge designation on our blog, wiki and forum. “Insider” status and progress reports on what we're doing. We’ll provide you with a special “Kickstarter only” email address that you can use to write to us. You’ll feel satisfied - knowing that you’re helping to change the world – and the Moon, and Mars, and eventually the whole solar system. AND you’ll know that, ultimately, you are contributing to humanity’s diaspora to the stars! AND Every single person that contributes will have their name laser inscribed on the robot. AND we’ll keep this list, so that when we build our Lunar Elevator, we’ll put your name on that ‘bot too… Not bad for a buck, huh? PLUS Our sincere thanks and appreciation.

    Estimated delivery: Sep 2012
  • Pledge $3 or more

    23 backers

    GREETING CARD: We will send you a custom card. We’ll send you a survey of image choices; some will be focused on Earth’s Space Elevator, some on the Lunar Elevator, and some on life-saving aspects of the Tethered Tower. Order as many as you like, and send them to your ‘cool’ friends for holidays and birthdays. PLUS everything at the FRIEND level.

    Estimated delivery: Oct 2012
  • Pledge $5 or more

    137 backers

    RIBBON: Same custom card as above… PLUS, attached to each card will be a 3cm snippet of the (potentially record-breaking) Ribbon that we use to climb into the sky! When ‘they’ build the museum about the Space Elevator, this will be a collector’s item. I’ll sign and number these cards. PLUS everything at the FRIEND and GREETING CARD level.

    Estimated delivery: Nov 2012
  • Pledge $8 or more

    1073 backers

    CARD CARRYING SUPPORTER: Personally, of all the rewards we are offering, this is the one I most want you to buy. (Of course, if you are reasonably well off, please buy the more expensive rewards; you’ll get this included!) But seriously, for most of you, I think this is your best value for the money. So what do you get? Well for starters, you’ll get a special laminated wallet-sized card (We’ll give you choices on the image). You can carry this around as proof that you’re helping do something amazing: Shifting the course of civilization, unleashing humanity from the tyranny of gravity and building an Elevator in Space! This card is so awesome that your friends will be jealous. These cards will be signed and numbered to limit counterfeiting! PLUS you’ll get a “KS Supporter” designation on our website forums and wiki. The only way to get that badge is through Kickstarter, and trust me, you’ll want this. PLUS the most important part of this reward level is that there is a MYSTERY SURPRISE. I promise, you will really like the MYSTERY SURPRISE. PLUS you’ll get the stuff at the FRIEND, GREETING CARD and RIBBON levels.

    Estimated delivery: Nov 2012
  • Pledge $9 or more

    356 backers

    FRIENDSHIP BRACELET: This unisex bracelet is classy and tasteful. It is comfortable to wear. It may or may not start a conversation (we hope it does) but it is a regular reminder that you are a part of something important. The first step, Tethered Towers will help with disaster relief, the next step of the Lunar Elevator will allow a permanent research station and settlement of our nearest neighbor, and the final step is when Earth’s Space Elevator leads humanity’s diaspora to the stars… This bracelet (handmade by our team) signifies all of that. It’s made of the same high-strength material that we will build our Tethered Towers and the Lunar Elevator out of. PLUS, you’ll get the FRIEND, RIBBON and GREETING CARD rewards. (Also, please consider the NECKLACE reward below.)

    Estimated delivery: Nov 2012
  • Pledge $12 or more

    159 backers

    ART PRINT: Why ‘art’ for an advanced technology project? NASA and the Department of Education have a metric for what they refer to as STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Math). At LiftPort we modified this to STEAM; adding in “Art”. We feel that art inspires, and sparks the imagination. We think that the arts bridge the gap between the folks that do STEM and everyone else. Art is a translator of sorts. We’ll give you an ART PRINT from our archives. Your choice of images. Themes will revolve around Earth’s Elevator, the Lunar Elevator or Tethered Towers. Initially, the size will be 5x7, high-quality and worthy of framing on the wall. If this proves to be a popular reward, we will increase the size. PLUS, you get the rewards at the FRIEND level. (Possible examples can be seen here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/space_elevator/sets/72157611636812783/. This is my personal Flickr account, please ignore images of my grandmother, birds and ex-girlfriends. But there are LOTS of images of our team at work, building robots, robots climbing into the sky and other artwork.)

    Estimated delivery: Nov 2012
  • Pledge $15 or more

    68 backers

    GROUP TALK: With the Space Elevator people. We’ll schedule a 2 hour chat, or video hangout, or conference call and talk about various aspects of the projects. We can talk about whatever you want: If this reward is popular, we’ll work it out so that we have multiple events and limit the number of people – so that you can really participate. We’ll send a survey to determine the best method, date and technology to work with you. Many options will be available. We’ll talk politics, religion, international policy, law and what might happen when we build it. We can talk about nanotechnology, too. We’ll schedule talks about each Elevator and Tethered Towers. PLUS You'll get the FRIEND, GREETING CARD and RIBBON level rewards.

    Estimated delivery: Sep 2012
  • Pledge $20 or more

    73 backers

    NECKLACE: Similar to the FRIENDSHIP BRACELET above, but longer and you wear it around your neck… ;-) This is your public statement that you believe in something big. We think these are attractive and something you’ll want to wear – whether you tell people you are involved with building “the biggest thing, ever”; well, that’s up to you. PLUS everything at the FRIENDS, GREETING CARD, and RIBBON levels. (Also, please consider the COMPLETE SET below. Or if you’d like the NECKLACE + BRACELET, we can take care of that with a survey after this KickStarter campaign ends.)

    Estimated delivery: Sep 2012
  • Pledge $25 or more

    230 backers

    MEDIUM ART PRINT: Same as at the $10 level, but a bigger print, on better paper and exclusive. It will be about 11x14 and we’ll design it as a limited edition print run for this KickStarter campaign only. At the $10 level, those are all (mostly) images that are about 5 years old or more. They’ve been around the internet for a long time… At this reward level, we will craft something entirely new and restrict its distribution. We’ll send a survey and let you choose which topic you are most interested in: Earth’s Elevator, the Moon Elevator or Tethered Towers. PLUS everything at the FRIENDS, GREETING CARD, and RIBBON levels.

    Estimated delivery: Oct 2012
  • Pledge $35 or more

    156 backers

    COMPLETE SET: The BRACELET and the NECKLACE and a matching pair of earrings. You’ll be the envy of your fashionista friends and gamer geeks… (O.k. that’s a stupid description… The sad, simple truth is this: there are not enough women involved or interested in this project. For this project to succeed, we must have a better boy:girl ratio. So I tasked my team to find some reward that would specifically appeal to women. The women on my team said they wanted jewelry… They said they wanted something that they could wear often – that would show their support. So we priced this ‘low’ and made it as versatile as possible. I’m told that the colors should accent your wardrobe. PLUS everything at the BRACELET, NECKLACE, CARD CARRYING SUPPORTER, FRIENDS, GREETING CARD, and RIBBON levels.

    Estimated delivery: Oct 2012
  • Pledge $35 or more

    341 backers

    T-SHIRT: Honestly, is a geek-centric Kickstarter campaign complete without the obligatory t-shirt? I wear mine whenever I travel and people ask me about the project wherever I go. Warning: If you don’t want an open invitation to talk to strangers, don’t purchase this reward. We’re planning new designs, so I can’t give you examples. We’ll have choices between Tethered Towers, The Lunar Space Elevator Infrastructure and our much loved Earth’s Elevator. PLUS everything at the CARD CARRYING SUPPORTER, FRIENDS, GREETING CARD, and RIBBON levels

    Estimated delivery: Nov 2012
  • Pledge $40 or more

    19 backers

    MEET-UP: In a sincere effort to reengage our community, I’d like to shake hands and drink beer with you. What I’d like, is to travel to your city. To do that, we’ve got to cover airplanes, food, hotels and other logistics. If we can organize ~25 people per city, we can do this. (If not, we’ll refund you.) I’m trying to do this cheap; so that I can meet as many folks as possible. Target cities include: Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Denver, Houston, Chicago, Atlanta, Washington DC, New York, and Boston. At the MEET-UP, I’ll give a short talk and long Q&A, and then we can commence with the beer! I’m happy to go to other places. I can also travel internationally. Dates will vary over the next year. PLUS everything at the CARD CARRYING SUPPORTER, FRIENDS, GREETING CARD, and RIBBON levels.

    Estimated delivery: Jan 2013
  • Pledge $50 or more

    67 backers

    TRUE FAN: The combination of TSHIRT + GROUP TALK rewards above. These are our champions. They make the effort to know what’s happening with the project, and then they put a billboard on their chest – proclaiming their support. They understand that building an Elevator in Space will make the world a better place. PLUS everything at the T-SHIRT, GROUP TALK, CARD CARRYING SUPPORTER, FRIENDS, GREETING CARD, and RIBBON levels.

    Estimated delivery: Nov 2012
  • Pledge $50 or more

    7 backers

    STREET TEAM: We are making a commitment to use Social Media as our primary outreach tool. We’d like your help. So what we’re proposing is this – you follow our SM accounts, and we’ll follow yours. If you’ve got something to say that is relevant to the Space Elevator or Tethered Towers community, we’ll rebroadcast. If we’ve got something that is relevant to your community, we ask that you broadcast our updates. This means that you learn everything about the project first! No one will have faster access to our progress reports. PLUS, we’ll have a conversation similar to the GROUP TALK above, but restricted only to the people that chose this reward. PLUS We’ll dedicate a page on our website and acknowledge our STREET TEAM publicly. PLUS the FRIEND, GREETING CARD, RIBBON, CARD CARRYING SUPPORTER, and GROUP TALK level rewards.

    Estimated delivery: Sep 2012
  • Pledge $75 or more

    31 backers

    REALLY TRUE FAN: We’re bundling the GROUP TALK, T-SHIRT and MEDIUM ART PRINT just for you. PLUS you’ll still get the rewards at the CARD CARRYING SUPPORTER, RIBBON, GREETING CARD and FRIEND levels.

    Estimated delivery: Nov 2012
  • Pledge $100 or more

    289 backers

    GET INVOLVED: Please, I’m asking you sincerely to put your money where your vision is. The group of people that commit to this level are important to me. (That’s not to imply that I don’t care about the other folks, but I’m honestly admitting that the people that commit at this level will have more of my attention.) Similar to the CARD CARRYING SUPPORTER above, this is my second favorite reward level. I hate to sound crass, but building an Elevator on the Moon will cost $800M. Do I expect to raise that all through KickStarter? Of course not. But it costs real money to do the things we need to, in order to build the “biggest thing ever”. So what’s your reward at this level? First, I wasn’t kidding. You will have my attention – Every month I’ll develop a survey and exclusively ask this community its opinion on something important. I will work with this community to create the policies and plans around building the Elevators. You will be our self-created focus group and I promise your opinions will be factored into how this Elevator develops. We will rely on you. For $100 dollars, it means your voice will be heard. From this community a few (you’ll pick among yourselves) will be raised to our formal Board of Advisors. What I’m looking for, at this reward level, is people that are willing to actively participate. So, is having my attention and having a voice in a project that will shift the course of humanity enough of a reward? I hope so. If not, I have a different MYSTERY SURPRISE II for you. Is it worth the difference between $8 and $100? Yes it is. We’ll create three teams; focused on each Elevator and Tethered Towers. PLUS everything at the T-SHIRT, MEDIUM ART PRINT, GROUP TALK, CARD CARRYING SUPPORTER, GREETING CARD, RIBBON, and FRIEND, levels.

    Estimated delivery: Jan 2013
  • Pledge $100 or more

    12 backers

    ADVERTISE YOUR SUPPORT: Simple commercialism. Show support of our project by advertising on our website. One thing I’m certain of is this – that the people interested in our project have a hopeful and enthusiastic vision of the future. They are technically savvy and engaged in the world. They think (rightly so) that they can make a difference. If this sounds like the kind of audience you’d like your product or service in front of, why not commit at this level. We’ll give you 10,000 views from people that want to change the world. (If this is interesting, and you’ve got more ad dollars to spend, take a look at the VIDEO CHANNEL at the $250 level. Also, at higher reward levels, we’ll maintain this rate of $.01/View.) PLUS the FRIEND, GREETING CARD, RIBBON , CARD CARRYING SUPPORTER, and CHAT level rewards.

    Estimated delivery: Sep 2012
  • Pledge $150 or more

    9 backers

    EXCLUSIVE CHAT – Same as the $15 reward above, but with a much smaller crowd, and 2 sessions of 2 hours. This allows us to get into some depth and have a conversation. Who knows where this might lead? I hope that this will be interesting, educational, inspirational, and perhaps spark questions you’d never considered. PLUS everything at the GET INVOLVED, MEDIUM ART PRINT, CARD CARRYING SUPPORTER, GREETING CARD, RIBBON, and FRIEND, levels.

    Estimated delivery: Nov 2012
  • Pledge $250 or more

    9 backers

    WALK ON PART: So for our big balloons + robots experiments, we’re gonna need some help. Actually, we need a couple spots – video, photography and a writer. There is stuff to do before, during and after the experiment so if you choose this, you’ll need to be available 4 days. The roles of each will be as a ‘historian’. You’ll capture the process, and post it to our social media accounts. You’ll have to handle the logistics of getting to and from the experiment site. Likely, this will be in the Seattle region, but we’ve had to go to Salt Lake City and Phoenix before. We’ll share the media rights to whatever is developed over these 4 days. If this proves to be a popular reward, we’ll hold auditions of some sort and offer other options for ‘walk on parts’. We’ll give full refunds if the assignment, timing and location don’t work for you. The experiment will likely take place in early to mid-October. PLUS you’ll get everything at the GET INVOLVED, ADVERTISE YOUR SUPPORT, MEDIUM ART PRINT, CARD CARRYING SUPPORTER, GREETING CARD, RIBBON, and FRIEND, levels.

    Estimated delivery: Oct 2012
  • Pledge $250 or more

    12 backers

    VIDEO CHANNEL: We’re considering creating a video channel with our team of experts. We’ll talk space, materials science/nanotech, energy, robotics, computing, communications, space-centric bioscience, law, international policy, military and theological aspects of our technology, and a host of other topics. We will vary focus between the Earth and Moon Elevators and the Tethered Towers. We need a minimum of 30 sponsors for this to begin. We really want this to succeed, so everyone that buys a reward above this level will be included in this. What you’ll get is the warm and fuzzy feeling of helping educate (a lot of) people… You’ll also receive permanent website acknowledgement that you are the channel’s founding sponsors, and also 25,000 views of your sponsorship ad. If we don’t hit our threshold, we’ll refund whatever was pledged. PLUS you’ll get everything at the GET INVOLVED, ADVERTISE YOUR SUPPORT, MEDIUM ART PRINT, CARD CARRYING SUPPORTER, GREETING CARD, RIBBON, and FRIEND, levels.

    Estimated delivery: Jan 2013
  • Pledge $300 or more

    6 backers

    EDUCATION KIT – LUNAR ELEVATOR: Designed for high school students. We will develop a set of curricula (meeting national educational standards) to teach students about a variety of topics. Using the Lunar Elevator as the central theme, we will explore math, chemistry, physics, communications, computing, biology, literature, sociology, law, finance, business, art, theology, nanotech/materials, energy systems and orbital dynamics. With this kit, we hope to inspire students and get them focused on their role in building something amazing. We plan to build our Elevator on the Moon in eight years – which means a high school student could become actively involved with the design, deployment and construction of the “biggest thing, ever!” CAVEAT: We need at least 5 people to support this level. If we reach that, each of you will be able to pick the school this KIT goes to. If we hit 25, you each get to pick 3 schools. If we hit 50, we’ll distribute it – for free – on our website; so every student can use this resource to make a difference in the world. Naturally, you'll get credit for this on our website, and in the support materials of the KIT. We’re working with a non-profit on this. You’ll get a receipt and a tax deduction. PLUS you’ll get all the rewards at the VIDEO CHANNEL, ADVERTISE YOUR SUPPORT, GET INVOLVED, MEDIUM ART PRINT, CARD CARRYING SUPPORTER, GREETING CARD, RIBBON, and FRIEND, levels.

    Estimated delivery: Sep 2012
  • Pledge $300 or more

    1 backer

    EDUCATION KIT – EARTH’S ELEVATOR: Same as above, but the topic is focused on Earth’s Space Elevator. While the concepts covered might be the same, the lesson plan is completely different and the knowledge gained is also entirely different. For example, when I say “physics”, in the Lunar Elevator I’m referring to gravity; while on Earth’s Elevator I’m thinking of leverage, mass and celestial mechanics. Same CAVEAT as above. We’re working with a non-profit on this. You’ll get a receipt and a tax deduction. PLUS you’ll get all the rewards at the VIDEO CHANNEL, GET INVOLVED, ADVERTISE YOUR SUPPORT, MEDIUM ART PRINT, CARD CARRYING SUPPORTER, GREETING CARD, RIBBON, and FRIEND, levels.

    Estimated delivery: Sep 2012
  • Pledge $300 or more

    3 backers

    EDUCATION KIT – TETHERED TOWERS: Designed for high school students or early college. Complete kit of balloons, Ribbon, and other equipment sufficient to build a communications and observation tower off your high school. We’ll provide a curriculum and instructions to the teacher, and an educational wiki that the students can (should!) contribute to. Students will learn about chemistry, weather, physics, electronics and communications. This is not a toy. This is real science. We will collect data from each location. Your students will learn, and LiftPort will learn from the students… We will apply this knowledge to the real-world application and development of deploying Tethered Towers. Please note, there are significant FAA, Air Force and Navy requirements involved. We will have to talk with you about these before shipping. In most cases, your Tethered Tower will be ~200-300ft high. Two CAVEATS: 1) The system can be customized. We’ll talk about that in our pre-shipping survey. Depending on the sensors you select, the price may increase. I’m trying to keep the base price as low as possible. And 2) We need at least 5 people to commit to this. If we don’t get that many, we will refund everything. We’re working with a non-profit on this. You’ll get a receipt and a tax deduction. PLUS you’ll get all the rewards at the VIDEO CHANNEL, GET INVOLVED, ADVERTISE YOUR SUPPORT, MEDIUM ART PRINT, CARD CARRYING SUPPORTER, GREETING CARD, RIBBON, and FRIEND, levels.

    Estimated delivery: Jan 2013
  • Pledge $500 or more

    4 backers

    KEYNOTE SPEAKER: I’ll come and talk with folks about building an Elevator on the Moon; of constructing an Earth Elevator that will unlock the destiny of the human race; of the life-saving value of immediate communications (Tethered Towers). Or I’ll talk on whatever topic you want me to. I’m a story teller. I teach by telling stories about what we’ve accomplished; about lessons learned on the front lines of this project. And I teach by expanding the horizons of the audience. I try hard to connect with the people I’m talking with. I’m as comfortable in front of Congressmen as I am with high school students. I make it an interactive, multimedia dialog with the audience. It’s less of a ‘lecture’ and more of a ‘conversation’. You set the tone, location and group, and I’ll deliver. I’m an award winning public speaker, and have given ~200 professional talks. So if I’m that good, how can you have me at your event for just $500? Because ‘telling the story’ of building the “biggest thing, ever” to an interested audience is more important to me than putting ‘excess’ money in my checking account. Because I want to make this affordable to student groups as well as larger professional associations. I live in the Seattle area, so if we are going beyond that, you’ll have to pick up the extra expenses. I’m happy to provide references. Delivery dates are negotiable. PLUS everything at the VIDEO CHANNEL, GET INVOLVED, ADVERTISE YOUR SUPPORT, MEDIUM ART PRINT, CARD CARRYING SUPPORTER, GREETING CARD, RIBBON, and FRIENDS, levels.

    Estimated delivery: Jan 2013
  • Pledge $500 or more

    6 backers

    JUMP!: Alright, you won’t be FIRST! (see below) but you’ll be on the list… Ride our balloons and robot up to the top, and then jump. What could be easier, right? Personally, I think you guys are all a little crazy. But then again, I’m building an Elevator in Space… Who am I to say what ‘crazy’ is? If you’ve got the waivers, jump certifications and guts, I won’t stop you from jumping off the tallest man-made structure in the world… and into the history books. Delivery dates are negotiable. PLUS everything at the VIDEO CHANNEL, GET INVOLVED, ADVERTISE YOUR SUPPORT, MEDIUM ART PRINT, CARD CARRYING SUPPORTER, GREETING CARD, RIBBON, and FRIENDS, levels.

    Estimated delivery: Jan 2013
  • Pledge $750 or more

    9 backers

    CARBON NANOTUBE WEDDING RING: O.k., in this reward, I’m letting you all in on a little secret… Last year I was commissioned to create a “carbon nanotube wedding ring” for a couple of fans. In their words, “Diamonds are the 20th century symbol for strength, and we want the 21st century symbol for unbreakable love…” Well, I couldn’t do exactly what they asked, but I did something pretty interesting. I created a brand new CNT+Metal alloy… and made their wedding rings out of it. I can make more if you want. But there’s a catch. Each ring is custom designed, and I have to work with metallurgists to make this happen. It’s not cheap. Part of the price depends on what sort of precious stones you want, and the complexity of the design. $2000 is probably the minimum threshold, and it could scale to $5000 or $10,000 (or more) if you added a lot of shiny rocks. So here’s the deal, the $750 you pledge here is a deposit. We’ll talk over what you want, and what my team can accomplish, and if it’s a fit, we’ll talk over prices and your budget. If all of this works for you, then the money you pledged will be applied to the final price. If this doesn’t work out, we’ll refund $500. I would return everything, but I have to hire an outside metallurgist for this consultation. Delivery dates are negotiable. PLUS all the rewards at the VIDEO CHANNEL, EXCLUSIVE CHAT, GET INVOLVED, MEDIUM ART PRINT, CARD CARRYING SUPPORTER, GREETING CARD, RIBBON, and FRIENDS, levels.

    Estimated delivery: Nov 2012
  • Pledge $1,000 or more

    3 backers

    CUSTOM ART: Designed with you and your selected location in mind, we will create an original image for your home or office. We have artists that work in a variety of mediums, and will tailor an image for you. Your image may focus on the themes of the two Elevators or Tethered Towers, or colonizing the Moon, Mars or whatever it is that you dream about. We’ll talk about that when we send your reward survey. LiftPort will keep the rights, and will reproduce prints, but you’ll have the signed original. PLUS all the rewards at the VIDEO CHANNEL, EXCLUSIVE CHAT, GET INVOLVED, MEDIUM ART PRINT, CARD CARRYING SUPPORTER, GREETING CARD, RIBBON, and FRIENDS, levels.

    Estimated delivery: Nov 2012
  • Pledge $2,500 or more

    0 backers

    DINNER PARTY: Invite 6 other people. Then the 8 of us will talk about the future, humanities move to the stars, acceleration of everything, civilization shifting technologies and our role in all this stuff. We’ll talk about how there is a lag between a society’s moral compass and the technology it uses. We’ll talk about how going to space, en masse, is the best possible future for humanity; and its benefits for most people down here on Earth. I’ll be charming. I know which fork to use. PLUS all the rewards at the VIDEO CHANNEL, EXCLUSIVE CHAT, GET INVOLVED, MEDIUM ART PRINT, CARD CARRYING SUPPORTER, GREETING CARD, RIBBON, and FRIENDS, levels.

    Estimated delivery: Jan 2013
  • Pledge $3,000 or more

    0 backers

    ROBOT KIT: Everything you need to make a robot that can climb into the sky (or out the window, off the side of a building, or up and down the world’s most awesome tree house or a museum exhibit). All the parts, directions, an exclusive wiki, and access to our team of robotic engineers included. This kit is not for the timid. But it is perfect for an after-school club (with experienced supervision) or a reasonably talented DIYer. PLUS all the rewards at the VIDEO CHANNEL, EXCLUSIVE CHAT, GET INVOLVED, ADVERTISE YOUR SUPPORT, MEDIUM ART PRINT, a print from CUSTOM ART, CARD CARRYING SUPPORTER, GREETING CARD, RIBBON, and FRIENDS, levels.

    Estimated delivery: Dec 2012
  • Pledge $5,000 or more

    0 backers

    CORPORATE RETREAT: My team and I know an awful lot about tackling big, unbounded, problems. If you and your executive team are heading off-site to work on ‘stuff’, let me help. We’ve created special tools to deal with complex problems – like building Elevators in Space. What I know can probably help you get a handle on whatever it is you are working on. This is probably just like every other corporate coaching and consulting gig your HR people and the Board are trying to shove down your throat. Except it comes from the perspective that changing the world is possible. I’ve done it. And I can show you how. Delivery dates are negotiable. PLUS all the rewards at the VIDEO CHANNEL, EXCLUSIVE CHAT, GET INVOLVED, ADVERTISE YOUR SUPPORT, MEDIUM ART PRINT, a print from CUSTOM ART, CARD CARRYING SUPPORTER, GREETING CARD, RIBBON, and FRIENDS, levels.

    Estimated delivery: Jan 2013
  • Pledge $7,500 or more

    0 backers

    ASSEMBLED ROBOT: The same as the ROBOT KIT above, but we did all the work and put it together for you. You’re welcome. Comes with a display stand, and plaque. Use it as a ready-made museum exhibit, or as corporate art. (Really, I’m not kidding. The robots in our office always got the attention of visitors. It shows your support, interest and enthusiasm for advanced technology. If you are a patent attorney, this is your public declaration that you believe in the future of amazing technology.) Tell us how you’ll use the ‘bot, and we’ll custom develop extra stuff for you. For example, if it’s for a museum display, we’ll create a set of artwork and instructional materials to post beside your new acquisition. If you’ve got other ideas, we’ll work with you to implement them. Delivery dates are negotiable. PLUS all the rewards at the ROBOT KIT, CUSTOM ART, VIDEO CHANNEL, EXCLUSIVE CHAT, GET INVOLVED, ADVERTISE YOUR SUPPORT, MEDIUM ART PRINT, a print from CUSTOM ART, CARD CARRYING SUPPORTER, GREETING CARD, RIBBON, and FRIENDS, levels.

    Estimated delivery: Jan 2013
  • Pledge $10,000 or more

    0 backers

    MOON WALKING: What I wanted to offer at this level, I can’t. There are laws prohibiting advertising things you can’t actually perform... And while I’m pretty sure I can perform, I can’t guarantee it. What I wanted to offer for this reward level was the trip of a lifetime; to allow folks to walk on the surface of the Moon. The way I see it, I’m building a railroad in space. My team and I have a lot of work ahead of us, before that happens. But when it does, I’ll have a lot of options. Which means I get to make the rules about who goes where, how often, and at what price. I know in the early days we will have a lot of excess capacity on the Ribbon. So I thought to myself, “why not give a true-believer a ride on the Lunar Elevator? They’d still need to spend about $50M to get a rocket to take them from Earth to the Lagrange point – at which point they’d take our Elevator down to the Moon. But I can at least offer a pre-paid rate on the services of my ‘railroad’…” Alas, I’m not allowed to make that offer. So, instead, I’ll offer my honest thanks. My team will use the money pledged at this level to work on the Feasibility Study. I’ll share EVERYTHING my team learns. And who knows? Perhaps one day you and I will sit down for dinner and discus our options... In the spirit of full disclosure, my company, LiftPort has already failed in its big plans once already. The odds are stacked heavily against us. But I’m committed to this. Buying this reward level might be a waste of money… but I don’t think so. Delivery dates are negotiable. PLUS all the rewards at the CUSTOM ART, VIDEO CHANNEL, EXCLUSIVE CHAT, GET INVOLVED, ADVERTISE YOUR SUPPORT, MEDIUM ART PRINT, a print from CUSTOM ART, CARD CARRYING SUPPORTER, GREETING CARD, RIBBON, and FRIENDS, levels.

    Estimated delivery: Jan 2013
  • Pledge $10,000 or more

    0 backers

    ANYTIME, ANYWHERE: If there is a disaster anywhere in the world, we’ll send three people to it, with our Tethered Towers and provide a communications, observation and security system for the emergency responders. We’ll train local responders how to use the system. Tethered Towers started out as a robotic test platform. But it evolved after the hurricane in New Orleans. Last year I literally cried as I was watching the news about the tsunami in Japan. I’m certain that if I could have gotten my team there, we could have made a difference. I’m really hoping someone buys this level. Together, we’ll save lives. CAVEAT: $10,000 is not enough to completely cover the costs of this. It will buy a complete kit on ready-standby status. It will also buy me team for a week (not really, but I’ll cover the difference). What it won’t do is cover costs of flights, lodging (I presume if it’s a real disaster we going to be in tents) and food. So this kind of logistic stuff will have to be covered separately, at the time of the event. Fair warning - I’ve talked with experts in this field, and this transportation cost could be very high as it’s a supply/demand problem. Delivery dates are negotiable. PLUS all the rewards at the CUSTOM ART, VIDEO CHANNEL, EXCLUSIVE CHAT, GET INVOLVED, ADVERTISE YOUR SUPPORT, MEDIUM ART PRINT, a print from CUSTOM ART, CARD CARRYING SUPPORTER, GREETING CARD, RIBBON, and FRIENDS, levels.

    Estimated delivery: Jan 2013
  • Pledge $10,000 or more

    0 backers Limited (1 of 1 left)

    FIRST! “There can be only one!” Someone is going to jump FIRST! Off the top of the Tethered Tower… It might as well be you! Imagine it; you calmly, quietly, ascend 2 kilometers high, using our balloons. And then, when you’ve had enough of the tremendous view, after you’ve taken all the images you want, after you’ve had lunch at the top of the world, you jump! Of course, you’ll have to have all the necessary parachute qualifications, medical screening and the legal liability waivers will be about a foot thick… If you’re crazy enough to do this, we’re crazy enough to let you! You’ll go down in the record books for skydiving off the world's tallest man-made structure, and the history books as the FIRST! Person on the FIRST! Space Elevator. (Note, this is an experimental system. We’ll have to get flight approval from the FAA, Air Force, and Navy for cleared airspace. This is likely to occur near (way outside of) Phoenix. If we don’t get this approval, you will be refunded. Delivery dates are negotiable. PLUS all the rewards at the CUSTOM ART, VIDEO CHANNEL, EXCLUSIVE CHAT, GET INVOLVED, ADVERTISE YOUR SUPPORT, MEDIUM ART PRINT, a print from CUSTOM ART, CARD CARRYING SUPPORTER, GREETING CARD, RIBBON, and FRIENDS, levels

    Estimated delivery: Jan 2013
  • Pledge $10,000 or more

    0 backers

    LET’S MAKE A DEAL: You’ll have access to our internal working documents, review our notes and examine our intellectual property. (We’ll retain all rights while you’re looking.) You’ll get first dibs and a chance to say ‘let’s make a deal’ on any spinoff technology we develop. Then we’ll negotiate in good faith. I believe we already have about +20 patentable and lucrative technologies, and we will develop others in: Materials/Nanotechnology, Space, Energy, Communications, Computing and Robotics. The commitment that you are purchasing at this level guarantees you a seat at the table – not that we will make a deal. However, LiftPort can’t/won’t stop to commercially develop every widget that we create. If we do that, we’ll never accomplish our Vision of an Elevator on the Moon. (For example: CARBON NANOTUBE WEDDING RINGS could lead to a revolution in metallurgy; we forecast applications in specialty electronics. Another example might be commercially deploying Tethered Towers for communication, observation or recreation.) So we will actively seek partners to develop the concepts created in our “Idea Factory”. CAVEAT: There will be a lot of legal mumbo jumbo associated with this reward. We’ll try to hash this out together. If you don’t like the terms, we’ll refund $5000. I’d refund it all, but we’re gonna have to hire the lawyers – to create the mumbo jumbo. Delivery dates are negotiable. PLUS all the rewards at the CUSTOM ART, VIDEO CHANNEL, EXCLUSIVE CHAT, GET INVOLVED, ADVERTISE YOUR SUPPORT, MEDIUM ART PRINT , a print from CUSTOM ART, CARD CARRYING SUPPORTER, GREETING CARD, RIBBON, and FRIENDS, levels.

    Estimated delivery: Jan 2013
  • Pledge $10,000 or more

    0 backers

    THREE WISHES: We’re going to have a long conversation. In person. Probably several. When you feel you’ve heard enough, you may ask me for three wishes… and like a genie, if it is within my power to grant, I’ll do it. Is this a gamble? Yes, I’m gambling a lot! Is this a gamble for you? Not hardly. I know I’ve got lots and lots of stuff worth this price. But this is a value for value exchange; I’m not giving you control of the project, or all of our intellectual property or something else that is way out of proportion. It’s a trade; I’ll give you something worthy of the price you are paying. Why am I doing this? I have realized something as I’ve been looking at some of the most successful Kickstarter campaigns – that I wanted something that wasn’t on the menu… Well, here’s your chance. This space intentionally left blank. Delivery dates are negotiable. PLUS all the rewards at the CUSTOM ART, VIDEO CHANNEL, EXCLUSIVE CHAT, GET INVOLVED, ADVERTISE YOUR SUPPORT, MEDIUM ART PRINT, a print from CUSTOM ART, CARD CARRYING SUPPORTER, GREETING CARD, RIBBON, and FRIENDS, levels.

    Estimated delivery: Jan 2013