I'm just thinking it's an incredible coincidence that Highlift Systems would hold the *first* international conference on space elevators just a few days ago, not more than a few weeks after I published my ideas on a Skyhook on my personal website. Although I admit that they managed to get a $570,000 grant from NASA to study the subject, and that might have taken quite some time, their website is copyright 2002, this year. They are a brand new company. To top it off Tethers Unlimited, more specifically Robert Forward who most influenced my ideas (through his novel Saturn Rukh) was not given any money or publicity despite having far more advanced theoretical framework.

I think that Highlift Systems is actually a dummy corporation set up by NASA to study the subject under NASA's direct supervision. That way NASA has full control over how the grant money is spent, and who does the research. If the space elevator idea has any potential they may then re-absorb Highlift Systems as a new department of NASA similar to JPL or Langley, and keep all the glory for themselves. If nothing comes from the work, then at some point Highlift Systems will simply cease to exist, and all record of expenditure or bad publicity will disappear into oblivion.

Such an arrangement might also protect other people in the field, such as Tethers Unlimited. They would not be affected if Highlift Systems washed out.