PRIVATE SPACESHIP UNVEILED - INSPIRED BY $10M X PRIZE SPACE RACE

The X PRIZE took another step into the history books this past weekend when famed aircraft designer Burt Rutan unveiled his future manned spacecraft, a space-faring vehicle called SpaceShipOne. At a media event in Mojave, California on Friday, April 18, more than 300 guests witnessed what Rutan has labeled the “world’s first private space program.”
Burt Rutan was the first person to register for the X PRIZE, shortly after its formation in May 1996. “The X PRIZE was our main inspiration for building SpaceShipOne,” stated Rutan. “Our goal is to be the first private spaceship to fly private astronauts to 100KM. I hope our progress will inspire others to follow in our footsteps.”
“We’re going to space because that’s where the view is,” continued Rutan. “This event is not about dreams, predictions or mockups. We are showing actual flight hardware: an aircraft for high-altitude airborne launch, a flight-ready manned spaceship, a new, ground-tested rocket propulsion system and much more. This is not just the development of another research aircraft, but a complete manned space program with all its support elements.” Read More