X Prize Entrants, Part 2 – Getting Real

By Geoff Canham, LUNAR#534

The X Prize Foundation is a non-profit educational organization based in St. Louis, which uses prizes to create a new commercial approach to spaceflight. Following in the footsteps of more than 100 aviation prizes offered between 1905 and 1935, which created today's multi-hundred billion dollar air transport industry, the X Prize Foundation is offering a $10 million purse to stimulate competition among the most talented entrepreneurs and rocket experts in the world.

To win the $10 million X Prize, spacecraft must be privately financed and constructed, and demonstrate the ability to fly three people into space. Vehicles must be reusable, flying twice within a two-week period. The competition's goal, which has been endorsed by leading space and aviation organizations around the world, is to jump-start the commercicalization of space, including space tourism. Currently, there are 19 teams from five nations participating in this first-of-its-kind competition.

Some of the entrants for the prize had little more than a dream, with very little likelihood of turning it into reality. One of the entrants, calling themselves the Earth Space Transport Systems Corporation, has never given any information about how they planned to meet the X Prize goal, and one has to question how serious a challenger they are. But at least one team is getting very close to achieving their dream.

In a press release dated November 22, 2001, the X Prize Foundation stated that it is pleased to announce that X Prize competitor Steven Bennett of Starchaser Industries ( www.starchaser.co.uk) successfully completed an unmanned test launch of his Nova vehicle. Bennett is planning a piloted launch of the same vehicle in the spring, as the next step in his quest to capture the $10 million X Prize.

The 37-ft. Nova took to the skies over Morecambe Bay in the UK on a Thursday last November. The vehicle reached an altitude of 5,000 ft. before landing with the assistance of two parachutes. Dubbed an "exploratory launch", Thursday's flight clears the way for Bennett to pilot Nova in the spring.

"I have always dreamt of traveling into space," said Bennett. "The X Prize competition provides an incentive that will legitimize as well as galvanize the efforts of all of those working to turn an age old dream into reality."

"The X Prize congratulates Steve Bennett on his successful test flight," said Peter H. Diamandis, founder and chairman, X Prize. "His flight demonstrates the ability of small, entrepreneurial teams to successfully build technology which was previously only possible by large government agencies."

Overall Dimensions:
      Height: 11m (37 feet)
      Diameter: 1254mm (4 feet)
      Finspan:    3356mm (11 feet)
Launch mass:    747kg (1643lb)
Recovery:    Parachute descent
Propellant:    Solid
Total impulse:    221 kNs (50,000 lb seconds)
Maximum speed:    223 metres/s (500 mph)
Max altitude:    1688.8 metres (5541 feet)
Launch date:    22nd November 2001
Location:    Morecambe Sands

If you have some money to spare after Christmas, you might like to book a space flight for yourself. Starchaser’s Web site states:

The fifth seat on Thunderbird is available to buy for the bargain basement price of £500,000 UK Sterling ($650,000 US). This is a genuine offer and the place is offered on a first come first served basis.

What an interesting birthday present - send the mother-in-law - sell the seat before launch and double your money - the possibilities are endless. But for those of you who are serious about flying - this is probably the best and most realistic offer you are ever going to come across.

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