Happy Anniversary!

Happy Anniversary! 

You may not know it, but today is the one year anniversary of launching the LiftPort Kickstarter campaign.

It is also the beginning of the International Space Elevator Conference. 

I want to start by saying – Thank You! Even though this sounds like hyperbole, I can honestly tell you that my life has changed in the past year. I’ve met the most amazing people, gone to some awesome venues and developed technology that will change the world. And it’s been possible ONLY through the overwhelming support from a global community of folks like you. Sincerely – my team and I thank all of you. 

Originally, the campaign ran for 21 days. As you know, I asked for a modest $8,000 and got $110,000. I expected to build a straight-forward robot experiment; instead you gave me the tools (cash) to restart my company, create a team, and begin the preliminary work of creating the biggest project in human history – and build a bigger robot that can climb much higher! 

Because it was a 21 day campaign, I’ve decided to post an update every day for three weeks. I’ll highlight various aspects – personal successes, leadership failures, trips taken, meetings held, contracts signed, robots built, conferences attended, legs amputated, cancer screens, rewards fulfilled, stories told, rewards unfulfilled, money spent, choices made, technology partnerships, games played, patents developed, advisors recruited, outreach conducted, papers written, and media created… 

A lot can happen in a year! 

Finally, I wanted to express my appreciation for the concern you’ve shown me and my family. My step-dad had his leg amputated, but I’m pleased to report that he is doing fine now. We’re still awaiting one test from a biopsy they did on his lungs last week. But he has fully recovered from the amputation. We’ve got 2 ramps built, and the bathroom/shower have been rebuilt so he can access it. He’s got a new ‘bionic’ leg, but he’s not able to walk with it yet. He’s going to physical therapy now. Mom also had a cancer scare, but it came back negative. But she’s lost a lot of weight (fast!) from having to muscle John’s wheelchair in and out of the car. I’m concerned she’s harming herself as she strives to take care of him – she’s done this before and cracked a vertebra as a result. I’m doing what I can for both of them. 

For those following along, there are plenty of ways to stay current: 

YouTube - ElevatorToSpace 

Twitter - @mlaine   @liftport   #SpaceElevator   #LiftPort or (The media grid for the two hashtags are pretty interesting; as is mine=  https://twitter.com/mlaine/media/grid )

Facebook - /LiftPort    /LunarElevator   /Elsie.Liftport   /groups/liftport 

And of course our website www.liftport.com 

Take care, MJL Michael Laine, President, LiftPort Group