X-Prize Update

By Geoff Canham

Dr. Peter H. Diamandis, Chairman and Founder of the X PRIZE Foundation said on August 5, 2004, "Eight years ago, under the Arch in St. Louis, we kicked off the X PRIZE competition. Today I'm pleased to announce that the first team is ready to make an attempt to claim the $10 million, with other teams close behind".

On July 27, 2004, the American Mojave Aerospace Ventures, LLC team (which is a partnership between Paul G. Allen and Burt Rutan and his team at Scaled Composites) announced that it had given its official 60-day notice to X-Prize and scheduled its first competition flight for September 29th, 2004, at the Mojave Airport Civilian Aerospace Test Center in Mojave, California. To win the X-Prize, with its $10 million, SpaceShipOne will need to make a second flight within two weeks, by October 13th, 2004.

The Canadian da Vinci Project Team, based in Toronto, Canada, rolled out its completed Wild Fire spacecraft for public viewing and photo opportunities on Thursday, August 5th, 2004, at its Downsview Airport hanger in Toronto, and notified the ANSARI X PRIZE of its intention to launch its rocket on October 2nd, 2004, marking its official entry in the international, commercially-funded space race competition. Brian Feeney, who plans to pilot Wild Fire approximately 85 kilometers into suborbital space, said the team is finalizing construction of the rocket as well as logistical details related to the event, which will be held in Kindersley, Saskatchewan. "We're very close to achieving our mission, thanks to the organizations and individuals that understand the significance of this race," said Feeney. "The da Vinci Project is on the cusp of a new era of space travel for humankind. Our team is proof positive that ingenuity and innovation can overcome the impossible."

Dr. Peter H. Diamandis commented "With two ANSARI X PRIZE teams launching within days of each other for the $10 million prize (U.S.), we truly have a remarkable race for space" said, Chairman and Founder of the X PRIZE Foundation. The recipient of the $10 million prize will be the first team to travel safely to space twice within a two-week period on a privately funded, re-useable spacecraft.

To keep up-to-date with events, you might want to bookmark the following Web sites:

X-Prize at http://www.xprize.org/home.php
Scaled Composites at www.scaled.com
da Vinci at www.davinciproject.com

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