Da Vinci Changes Team Name, Prepares for October Launch

Toronto, Ontario — August 17, 2004
(From the X Prize press room)
The da Vinci Project Team has officially changed its name to “The GoldenPalace.com Space Project: Powered by the da Vinci Project”

The da Vinci Project Team has officially changed its name to “The GoldenPalace.com Space Project: Powered by the da Vinci Project” in recognition of their new Title sponsor. The team’s Wild Fire rocket is being prepared for its October 2 flight in pursuit of the ANSARI X PRIZE. The GoldenPalace.com Space Project team plans to launch the cylindrical Wild Fire rocket from a high-altitude balloon taking off from Sasketchewan, Canada.

Team Leader Brian Feeney noted, “A two day comprehensive project management review took place the beginning of the week to identify every milestone and resource needed [to make the scheduled launch date]“. As The New Race to Space enters the home stretch, Toronto-based Team will perform tests of key spacecraft systems. To test the ability of a high-altitude balloon to launch the Wild Fire rocket, a scaled version of the balloon will carry a 400 lb payload to 50,000 feet in September, according to Feeney. As for the engines that will carry Wild Fire to space, ground test firings are scheduled to start August 31st and run throughout September.