World Space Elevator Competition Announces World’s First-Ever Global Space Elevator Challenge

Kick-off Event at the International Space Development Conference in Orlando June 19-22

Will Feature Live Demonstrations of Winning Robotic Climbers from Past Regional Competitions

ORLANDO, Fla. (June 17, 2025)

The World Space Elevator Competition (WSPEC), a new non-profit initiative designed to promote the next generation of STEAM fields worldwide, today announced the first-ever global space elevator competition. Designed for university-level students and space enthusiasts, WSPEC will feature multiple strategic competitions designed to advance critical technologies needed to construct an elevator to space - the first ever to take place on a global level.

The competition will kick off at the International Space Development Conference (ISDC) June 19 - 22 in Orlando, Fla., and will feature live demonstrations of winning robotic climbers from past regional competitions, including the world’s fastest robotic climber that set a record climbing a 1200 meter ribbon-shaped tether at more than 100 kilometers per hour.

WSPEC is a partnership of Etheria Space, which is driving the initiative, the Japan Space Elevator Association, and WARR Space Elevator Challenge of Germany, two of the largest organizers of past regional games, and the International Space Elevator Consortium (ISEC), the international organization driving the research behind a space elevator. WSPEC both continues and expands upon the current regional space elevator games, opening them to countries throughout the world and combining them into a single global collaboration under one international umbrella.

“WSPEC is designed to foster innovation and inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers, regardless if an elevator to space is ever actually constructed,” said Mordy Friedman, executive director of WSPEC and founder of Etheria Space.

Open to university level students as well as space enthusiasts, WSPEC will feature a series of strategic competitions, starting with robotic climber and power beaming challenges. These initiatives will initially prioritize advancements with practical applications that are also critical to build the first elevator to space.

Competitions will be held annually with prizes awarded to the top-performing teams.

About WSPEC

The World Space Elevator Competitions (WSPEC) is an international non-profit organization with a bold vision: to make space beneficial to all of humanity by creating an earth/space economy. WSPEC aims to achieve this by advancing the critical technologies needed to construct a space elevator through a series of strategic competitions designed to foster innovation and inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers.

It is a partnership between Etheria Space, who is driving the Initiative, The Japan Space Elevator Association, WARR Space Elevator Challenge of Germany and the International Space Elevator Consortium (ISEC). For more information, please visit www.wspec.org.

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