X-Prize

[JustJon]

I don't know if anyone else has been following this over the last year or so (MikeT?), but a foundation was started over a year ago to give $1 million to the first private space flight to exit earth's atmosphere twice.

On Monday, someone completed the second flight and was announced as the prize winner later int he week (they had to confirm the height of both flights before declaring them the winner).

I was really into spaceships and such growing up, but it seems NASA has fallen out fo public favor and it's cool to see people stepping in to pick up the slack.

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[TheMojoPin]

If there's not a personal rocket pack involved, I don't give a damn.

The year 2000 was so anti-climatic!

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[BoondockSaint]

I thought the prize was $10 million? And I think that the guy that owns Virgin was the backer for the winners.

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[furie]

it is $10 million. and he spent more that $20 million to develop the craft. of course it's not the money it's the prestige.


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[JustJon]

oops, typo on my part. $10 mil

And most fo the X-Prize contestants had corporate backers because it isn't possible to do it cheaply, but as furie said, it's all about the prestige of being the first private space craft to exit earth's atmosphere.

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[furie]

just to show the sad state of our space program, in 2004 there were 3 maned space flights. one was a russian capulse for ISS. the other two were spaceship one.

NASA needs to get back on track.


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