 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
X Prize Competitors Move Ahead For First Manned Test Flights
St Louis Dec 10, 2001 X Prize competitor Steven Bennett of Cheshire, UK recently completed an unmanned launch of his Nova spacecraft, becoming the fourth X Prize entrant to successfully fly a spacecraft prototype that eventually will take citizens to space. Bennett is planning a piloted launch in Spring 2002, the next step in his quest to capture the $10 million X Prize. The St. Louis-based X Prize Foundation is awarding $10 million to the first privately funded person or team to fly a three-person spacecraft to 100km on two flights within two weeks. The first space-based incentive prize of its kind, the X Prize is modeled after the Orteig Prize, won by Charles Lindbergh in 1927 for his historic transatlantic flight in the Spirit of St. Louis. Bennett is one of 21 registered competitors from five countries vying for the X Prize. "The goal of the X Prize is to open space to tourism. Steve Bennett's successful test flight puts our dream of getting to space one step closer," said Peter H. Diamandis, founder and chairman, X Prize Foundation. "His flight demonstrates the ability of small, entrepreneurial teams from the private sector to successfully build technology which was previously only possible by large governments." "Following our success with Nova we will push ahead with a full-scale test launch of our X Prize vehicle, Thunderbird, next year with the goal of making an assault on the X Prize within 18 months," said Bennett. "We intend to win the X Prize and open space for everyone." Asked about when he expects a winner, Diamandis commented, "The X Prize has more than eight teams who are building and demonstrating hardware. We expect an increased number of test flights in 2002 and hope to have a winner before the 100th anniversary flight in 2003." In 1999 Burt Rutan flew Proteus, the "first stage" of his two-stage X Prize entry, and Mike Kelly successfully demonstrated his patented "tow- launch" technology. In 2000, the Argentinean X Prize team carried a scale model of their capsule to 100,000 feet, successfully recovering the space capsule following its re-entry into the earth's atmosphere. Earlier this year, both X Prize Canadian teams, daVinci Project and Canadian Arrow unveiled full-scale mock-ups of their vehicles. X-Prize xprize.org CommunityEmail This Article Comment On This Article Related Links SpaceDaily Search SpaceDaily Subscribe To SpaceDaily Express Rocket Science News at Space-Travel.Com
Successful First Test For Vega's Zefiro 9 Engine
Paris, France(ESA) Dec 28, 2005Flames, smoke and a deafening noise accompanied the first firing test of Vega's Zefiro 9 third-stage solid rocket motor. A first examination of the data indicates that everything went well at the test carried out yesterday at Salto de Quirra in southeast Sardinia. |
|
|
| The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2006 - SpaceDaily.AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA PortalReports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additionalcopyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement |
