After a gap of three years, the NASA-sponsored 'Space Elevator Games' competition - for developing the science fiction space elevator concept - has a winner this year! The $900,000 prize was won by the Seattle-based LaserMotive team for its laser-powered robotic machine that raced up over 900 meters of cable hanging from a helicopter.

The three-day contest also the participation of two other teams, namely - KC Space Pirates of Kansas City, Mo., and the University of Saskatchewan's Space Design Team.

The competition essentially required the vehicles of the participants to get to the top, with potential rewards for the taking upon the completion of the climbs at two levels of speed.

While neither of the other two teams' climbers made it to the top, LaserMotive's homemade cable-climber climbed the helicopter-suspended 900-meter tether at a speed of 8 mph during its attempt on Wednesday.

In all, the LaserMotive robot climber, powered by a ground-based laser, managed to get reach the top of the cable four times in two days - its best time being nearly 3 minutes and 48 seconds, which was good enough for second-place prize. If its robot had climbed faster, the team would have won a whopping $2 million!

Andy Petro, progam manager of NASA's Centennial Challenges, presented the $900,000 prize check LaserMotive, in a ceremony at the Edwards Air Force Base's Dryden Flight Research Facility in the Mojave Desert.