2026 Space Elevator Academic Challenge
Utilizing AI Technologies for a Space Elevator Mission for Planetary Defense
The International Space Elevator Consortium (ISEC) and the National Space Society (NSS) want to challenge high school and university students to explore how the Space Elevator system can enhance the safety of Earth by using AI technologies for Planetary Defense.
Winners will receive $2,000 USD for 1st place, $1,000 USD for 2nd place, and $500 USD for 3rd place.
BACKGROUND
What is the Space Elevator Transportation System? Imagine an advanced lift system which moves not the 20 tonnes of payload to GEO of current launchers, or the 50 tonnes to GEO of advanced Falcon Heavy launches, but a permanent space access infrastructure capable of moving 170,000 tonnes every year, and with no atmospheric pollution when it is mature. Also, imagine this making it possible for everyone to visit space in the decades ahead, by taking a leisurely and scenic journey from the Equator to orbit. Imagine this making it possible for us to build lush, green, and beautiful space habitats with artificial gravity, so people can finally live and work in space, removing population pressures from our precious ecosystems. Forever. Imagine this making it possible to provide clean, abundant energy and clean natural resources. Yes, all of that can become possible by building and operating one or even multiple Space Elevators as a permanent transportation system for the near future, doing for us what rockets cannot!
The Greatest Achievement in Human History: When we think of great achievements, many come to mind. Many of us will think of the Pyramids as an example. The Great Pyramid is 5.75 million tons and stands 0.14 km high. Now, imagine the Space Elevator system, which will weigh 4,195 tons and stand 100,000 kilometers from the surface of the Earth; a quarter of the distance to the Moon! By building these elevators near the equator, they will enable a whole new economy—a real, thriving space-and-Earth economy, delivering to humanity abundant clean power and raw materials, new places to live, and eventually even building starships in orbit. This could be YOUR future. YOUR legacy. We're counting on YOU to help make it happen!
Background Information: In the recent ISEC study “Apex Anchor: Full-Service Logistics Transportation Node at the Top of the Gravity Well” by Paul Phister, Joyce Efferdink, Peter Swan, and Sandra Therrien, it was determined that a multitude of capabilities can be performed within the Apex Anchor. One of the most important was regarding Planetary Defense. (To learn more about the characteristics of the Space Elevator, review the body of knowledge at www.isec.org and review past entries on this website at https://www.isec.org/academic-challenge-reports.)
THE CHALLENGE
Can you contribute to the future of humanity with great ideas developed from recent discoveries? This contest is for high school and university students from around the world. The challenge encourages you to expand your imagination by exploring the use of AI technologies towards a particular mission ideally suited to the Space Elevator, namely Planetary Defense. You need to explain how AI technologies, within the Space Elevator’s transformational characteristics, will achieve Planetary Defense. These range from on Earth, the journey to orbit, in orbit at the Apex Anchor, or further out into space. Imagination will be appreciated – but remember that everything in your submission must be based on well-researched facts. This challenge should be something that excites YOU. You can either enter as an individual or as a member of a team (up to four students).
Selection Process
The selection process from papers and then to videos will be competitive and lead to three prize winners.
1st prize = $2,000USD, 2nd prize = $1,000USD, 3rd prize = $500USD
(Prize money equally divided among team members and delivered by PayPal.)
NOTE: Submission grants full rights to abstracts, papers, videos to be used in future ISEC/NSS endeavors.
Submissions will be judged based upon:
Your insight into future possible uses of AI technology towards Planetary Defense missions for Space Elevators.
Your presentation of the arguments in favor of the use of the Space Elevator system for Planetary Defense.
Your creative concepts for using Space Elevators that lead to a better future for humanity.
SUBMISSION FORMAT
1. Submission of an Abstract, in this format (by 15 Oct 2025):
Title of Submission
Team Member Name(s) (up to four)
Team School(s)/University(s) clearly stated.
Team Mentor(s) (clearly delineated on application)
Student verification ID submitted via https://www.sheerid.com/business/identity-marketing-platform/solutions/verification/student/
One Email contact (lead student’s email, not mentors)
Submission of Intent sent to: spaceelevatorchallenge@isec.org
2. Submission of up to a 15-page paper submitted in English, in PDF format (by 15 Jan 2026)
Submitters will be provided with access to the ISEC Zotero library to assist with further research on their paper.
Picture of Team Member(s) clearly identifying students (pictures will be used in final awards)
Paper submissions sent to: spaceelevatorchallenge@isec.org
3. For selected finalists, an audio/video (MP4) will be submitted (by 15 Feb 2026).
Audio/video must be 10 minutes or less and sent to: spaceelevatorchallenge@isec.org
Video Link sent to: spaceelevatorchallenge@isec.org
4. Winners will be invited to present their paper at the National Space Society’s International Space Development Conference as well as the ISEC Conference in 2026.
TIMELINE
Announcement of Space Elevator Academic Challenge: 01 September 2025
2. Submission of Abstract to enter competition: 15 October 2025
3. Paper submission: 15 January 2026
4. Finalist selection, notification (top 10): 01 February 2026
5. Finalist audio/video submission: 15 February 2026
6. Final Selection (top 3): 01 March 2026
Winners
Winning submissions will be published on the ISEC YouTube channel and other social media.
Potential invitations to attend NSS Conference June 2026.
Potential invitations to attend the ISEC Conference September 2026.
Questions? Write to spaceelevatorchallenge@isec.org
Space Elevator Academic Challenge 2025 Winners
Space Elevator Academic Challenges – 2025
Co-Sponsored by International Space Elevator Consortium and National Space Society
We are proud to announce the winners of the 2025 Academic Challenge with wonderful videos to explain their research and results. Each of the teams supported one of two challenges during their research from either a university or a high school. Challenge-1 (High School) asked them to develop a space settlement at the Space Elevator’s Apex Anchor and how their settlement would be benefited by the “green road” access to space that space elevators would provide. Challenge-2 (University) asked each to develop at the Earth-Moon L5 point a space settlement utilizing the space elevator to transport the required vast amount of materials.
The International Space Elevator Consortium (ISEC), in conjunction with the National Space Society (NSS), sponsored this student research related to space settlements. They have been invited to the NSS International Space Development Conference in Orlando, FL on 19-22 June 2025, ISEC Conference in September (dates and location TBD) as well as the NSS Space Settlement conference in October (dates and location TBD). The original 2025 Academic Challenge announcement can be found here.
The winners are:
Challenge-1: High School
1st Place ($2000.00)
Title: Development of a Settlement on the Space Elevator Apex Anchor Station
School: High School student at Eunoia Junior College, Singapore
Lead: Lee Ee Hank
Paper Link: 2025 ISEC Academic Challenge High School 1st Place
Video Link: https://youtu.be/ULHLexMBhbk
2nd Place ($1000.00)
Title: Apex Settlement
School: Istituto comprensivo Ranzoni, Verbania Italy
Lead: Martina Zagonel
Team: Ginevra Gaviraghi
Paper Link: 2025 ISEC Academic Challenge High School 2nd Place
Video Link: https://youtu.be/Z7vYye4XOBU
3rd Place ($500.00)
Title: Maglev Space Elevator
School: Stanford On-Line High School, CA
Lead: Leo Shiina
Team: Maiya Qiu
Paper Link: 2025 ISEC Academic Challenge High School 3rd Place
Video Link: https://youtu.be/hrUwmJe4R60
Challenge-2: University
1st Place ($2000.00)
Title: Team Celestial
School: Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal, Karnataka
Lead: Muhir Kapoor
Paper Link: 2025 ISEC Academic Challenge University 1st Place
Video Link: https://youtu.be/xcGijZnxn4E
2nd Place ($1000.00)
Title: Presenting Nexus
School: University of Texas, Austin
Lead: Saadhika Prakash
Team: Jia Chadha, Siddh Tolia, and Anikait Gupta
Paper Link: 2025 ISEC Academic Challenge University 2nd Place
Video Link: https://youtu.be/pa_jyGT_I0o
3rd Place ($500)
Title: Space Habitat at L5 Point
School: Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
Lead: Akinari Ogawa
Team: Yoshinao Kobayashi, and Ryo Kuzuno
Paper Link: 2025 ISEC Academic Challenge University 3rd Place
Video Link: https://youtu.be/420ujLoqass
2023-2024 Academic Challenge Winners
We are proud to announce the winners of the 2024 Academic Challenge with wonderful videos to explain their research and results. Each of the teams supported one of two challenges during their research from either a university or a high school. The first challenge asked them to assess how their selected “mission” would be benefited by the “green road” access to space that space elevators would provide. The second challenge asked each to explain how artificial intelligence (AI) technologies could be used to enhance the capability of the space elevator’s transformational characteristics in achieving their chosen “mission.” The International Space Elevator Consortium (ISEC), in conjunction with the National Space Society (NSS), sponsored this student research related to space. They have been invited to the NSS International Space Development Conference in Los Angeles in late May. (The original 2024 Academic Challenge announcement can be found here.)
The winners are:
High School
1st Place ($2000.00)
Title: Mission Demeter
School: Makua Lani Christian Academy High School, Hawaii
Lead: Anela Uluwehi Monell
Team: Abigayle Byers, Joshua Reid, Alexander Lim
Video Link: https://youtu.be/cz_7C8_i3aI
2nd Place ($1000.00)
Title: Mars Delivery Service
School: Saint Cecilla School and Japanese School in San Francisco, CA
Lead: Leo Shiina
Team: Darby Powell Kara da Luz, and Misato Sobue
Video Link: https://youtu.be/HeOYqO3wQz4
3rd Place ($500)
Title: Thermal Electricity Storage System with Solar Panels
School: Makua Lani Christian Academy High School, Hawaii
Lead: Dylan Beach
Video Link: https://youtu.be/YZhDph5FN_Q
University
1st Place ($2000.00)
Title: Space Policy Mission – Green Orbit
School: Columbia University, New York City, NY
Lead: Selin Mordeniz
Team: Elliot Heath, Kuan “Frank” Zhang, and Laura Topolski
Video Link: https://youtu.be/70BtsP5sqjY
2nd / 3rd Place ($750.00) – We had two submittals whose final evaluation scores were very close. The team decided to award a tie between 2nd and 3rd place. Therefore, each team will receive $750.00.
Title: Harvesting the Cosmos
School: University of Minnesota, Colorado School of Mines
Lead: Adam Williams
Team: Michael Williams
Video Link : https://youtu.be/UofKsWdjy7Q
Title: AI Enhanced Operations and Maintenance
School: Vanier College, College in Quebec
Lead: Henrique Etrusco Ribeiro Moreira
Video Link: https://youtu.be/7mluMvKyOxk
2022-2023 Academic Challenge Winners
2023 Space Elevator Challenge: Improving Humanity’s Future
THE CHALLENGE:
Can you contribute to the future of humanity with great ideas developed from recent discoveries? This contest was for students (guideline ages 17-25) from around the world. It focused on the strengths of the Space Elevator, the Green Road to Space. This challenge encouraged each student to expand their imagination by exploring, and making a case for, something that the Space Elevator can do for humanity; something that excites them. They could either enter as an individual or as a member of a team (up to four students).
THE WINNERS:
1st Place ($2,000): Henrique Etrusco Ribeiro Moreira (above), “Space Elevator: Applications of GEO Stations and Microgravity” (Vanier College). This paper discusses the transformational properties of such a framework, including the addition of a GEO station. As a novel part of space elevator research, the benefits of such a station is explored and a specific focus is given to the microgravity characteristics that can be found in such an infrastructure.
Henrique’s video entry is below.
2nd Place ($1,000): (above, left to right) Ryo Kuzuno, Yukito Kodama & Yuki Furusho of Tohoku University and Shota Arai of the University of Tokyo, “High-Level Nuclear Waste Disposal System Using Space Elevator.” This paper examines the feasibility and effectiveness of using space elevators for transporting high-level nuclear waste (HLW) into space. Space elevators could offer a safe and high-capacity alternative. This study evaluates the technical and economic aspects of HLW disposal in space using space elevators and concludes that it is a realistic option with an adequate disposal time frame.
The second place team video is below.
3rd Place ($500): Juan Koike (above right), Nanako Doi (center), Shingo Toyoda (left), & Ryota Yoshimura (not shown), “High-degree-of-freedom Orbital Deployment of CubeSats by Space Elevators” (College of Science and Technology, Nihon University). Basic research is described on space elevator transport units with the aim of "realization of position control for high-speed movement." This is developing a technique to stop climbers from moving at high speed at an arbitrary position on the tether. This research could be applied to the transport of CubeSats.
The third place team video is below.
Finalist: Maria Juliane de Souza Brito (above), Universidade Federal do Amazonas - UFAM (Federal University of Amazonas), with three submissions.
The Ark could soon become a reality with appropriate technology. By utilizing the space elevator capabilities of high volumes to space at low costs, we propose a potential system to allow the preservation of human society in case of emergencies that could produce an extinction: The Ark, an independent space settlement or spaceship to store most terrestrial plant seeds and animal embryos, including human, for future return-to-life event in case of need.
Impactor: A proposal to utilize the space elevator’s unique capabilities to assemble in orbital a heavy bullet shaped mass called Impactor to be smashed against an incoming asteroid to deflect it from its terrestrial target. Only with the space elevator and its capabilities could such an impactor, a superheavy and large body, be built and assembled in order to be effective against an incoming asteroid.
Min-Man: The utilization of space resources, nearly unlimited compared to those in our planet, may start an era of abundance for the human society. Recent advances in space technology with more affordable costs for entrepreneurs willing to invest in space can open up new opportunities and allow to start mining activities in space. The space elevator introduction will represent a paradigm shift and a true breakthrough in space development and will allow many activities previously unheard of.
Finalist: Sidney Sheets (above), Aaron Mizrahi (not shown), Lacie Chickaway (not shown), “Space Elevators: A Scientific Application” (Florida Institute of Technology). Discusses the economy, efficiency, and reliability of a Space Elevator to support unmanned space science missions, including astronomy, planetary, and solar science.