{{Use American English|date = April 2019}} {{Short description|American space company}} {{Use mdy dates|date = April 2019}} {{Infobox company | name = LiftPort Group | logo = | type = | genre = Science, Advancement in Space Travel, Space, Space Elevator | fate = | predecessor = | successor = | foundation = | founder = Michael J. Laine | defunct = | location_city = Snohomish, Washington | location_country = USA | location = | locations = | area_served = | key_people = Michael J. Laine | industry = Space, Space Commercialization, Cheap Reliable Access to Space | products = Space Elevator themed Coffee Cups, Wall Posters, etc. | services = | revenue = | operating_income = | net_income = | aum = | assets = | equity = | owner = | num_employees = | parent = | divisions = | subsid = | homepage = http://www.liftport.com | footnotes = | intl = }} '''LiftPort Group''' is a privately held [[Washington (state)|Washington state]] corporation. It was founded in April 2003 by Michael J. Laine. The company is focused on the construction of a [[space elevator]] using [[carbon nanotube]]s.<ref>{{cite web|title=LiftPort Group Wiki |work=iGoals |url=http://www.liftport.com/wiki/ |access-date=April 22, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090423044234/http://www.liftport.com/wiki/ |archive-date=April 23, 2009 }}</ref> <br/> <!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:Climber drawing.jpg|thumb|120px]] -->
==History== * April 2003, LiftPort Group founded. * April 12, 2004, LiftPort Group cosponsored the Official [[Yuri's Night]] celebration in [[Seattle]], [[Washington (state)|Washington]].<ref>{{cite news | title=Yuri's Night | work=Seattle Yuri's night 2004 | url=http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-20979869_ITM | access-date=April 22, 2009 | date=April 12, 2004}} </ref> * November 12, 2004, Demonstrated a lifter at the [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]] by having it climb up a ribbon approximately 90 meters tall, during a [[winter storm|snowstorm]].<ref>{{cite web|title=LiftPort Group |work=Lifter Demo at MIT |url=http://www.liftport.com/gallery/MITdemo_2004Nov |access-date=September 19, 2005 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050901125111/http://www.liftport.com/gallery/MITdemo_2004Nov |archive-date=September 1, 2005 }}</ref> * April 29, 2005 Announced plans for a carbon nanotube manufacturing plant, the company's first formal facility for production of the material on a commercial scale. The new facility was to serve as the regional headquarters for the company, and represent the fruition of LiftPort Group's three years of research and development efforts into [[carbon nanotubes]], including partnering work with a variety of leading research institutions in the business and academic communities. Set to open in June 2005, LiftPort Nanotech was to be located in [[Millville, New Jersey]].<ref>{{cite web | title=Millville Facility | work=Fruition of liftport nanotech | url=http://www.netcomposites.com/news.asp?2930 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050429210608/http://www.netcomposites.com/news.asp?2930 | url-status=usurped | archive-date=April 29, 2005 | access-date=April 22, 2009}} </ref> * September 20, 2005, LiftPort Group designed and built a longer ribbon (called Tether) and load bearing balloon to further illustrate proof of concept and progress. The lifter climbed the {{convert|1000|ft|m|adj=on}} ribbon which was suspended from the balloon.<ref>{{cite web | title=successful 1000-foot lifter test | website=[[NBC News]]| date=September 23, 2005| url=http://www.nbcnews.com/id/9454786| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305151810/http://www.nbcnews.com/id/9454786/| url-status=dead| archive-date=March 5, 2016}}</ref> * January 2006 LiftPort successfully launched an observation and communication platform a mile in the air and maintained it in a stationary position for more than six hours while robotic lifters climbed up and down a ribbon attached to the platform. The platform, a proprietary system that the company has named "HALE" (High Altitude Long Endurance), was secured in place by an arrangement of high altitude [[balloon]]s, which were also used to launch it. The robotic lifters measured five feet, six inches (1.7 meters) and climbed to a height of more than {{convert|1500|ft|m}}, surpassing its last test record by more than {{convert|500|ft|m}}.<ref>{{cite web|title=LiftPort Group |work=Mile-High Demo |url=http://www.liftport.com/index.php?site=news&news_id=3 |access-date=February 15, 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060304021126/http://www.liftport.com/index.php?site=news&news_id=3 |archive-date=March 4, 2006 }}</ref> * June 11, 2007, LiftPort was to be penalized due to an alleged illegal offering of shares of the company.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dfi.wa.gov/sd/orders/S-06-077-07-SC01.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2012-10-27 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110705071118/http://www.dfi.wa.gov/sd/orders/S-06-077-07-SC01.pdf |archive-date=2011-07-05 }}</ref> * February 16, 2010, LiftPort Group entered into a Consent settlement with the State of Washington agreeing to cease and desist specified activities, and no fine was imposed.<ref>STATE OF WASHINGTON DEPARTMENT OF FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS SECURITIES DIVISION, CONSENT ORDER Order Number S-06-077-09-CO01|{{cite web |url=http://www.dfi.wa.gov/sd/orders/S-06-077-09-CO01.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2011-11-29 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120422063850/http://www.dfi.wa.gov/sd/orders/S-06-077-09-CO01.pdf |archive-date=2012-04-22 }}</ref>
==Lunar space elevator== In October 2011 on the LiftPort website Laine announced that LiftPort is pursuing a [[Lunar space elevator]] as an interim goal before attempting a terrestrial elevator. At the 2011 Annual Meeting of the [http://www.lpi.usra.edu/leag/ Lunar Exploration Analysis Group] (LEAG), LiftPort CTO Marshall Eubanks presented a paper on the Lunar Elevator co-authored by Michael Laine.<ref>[http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/leag2011/pdf/2043.pdf]|LADDER: The Development of a Prototype Lunar Space Elevator T.M. Eubanks and M. Laine, Liftport Luna</ref>
In August 2012, LiftPort announced the launch of KickStarter funding for their [[Lunar space elevator]]. This KickStarter fund can be found at [http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/michaellaine/space-elevator-science-climb-to-the-sky-a-tethered Space Elevator Kickstarter]. This project successfully exceeded its funding goal on September 13, 2012, requesting $8,000. It raised $110,353 from 3,468 backers.
The KickStarter project comments thread has many comments from backers asking what has happened with no response.<ref>[https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/michaellaine/space-elevator-science-climb-to-the-sky-a-tethered/comments Kickstarter project comments thread]</ref>
==References== {{reflist|2}}
==Bibliography== * LiftPort - The Space Elevator: Opening Space to Everyone, {{ISBN|978-1-59222-109-7}}
==External links== * [http://www.universetoday.com/2008/05/08/popular-space-elevator-video-not-news-says-liftport-founder/ Viral video of LiftPort climber]
{{Space elevator}} {{Space tourism}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Liftport Group}} [[Category:Space elevator]] [[Category:Aerospace companies of the United States]] [[Category:Companies based in Snohomish County, Washington]] [[Category:Bremerton, Washington]]