*** AntiGravity Propulsion ***
A Faster Stairway to the Stars


To The Official X PRIZE Web Site

Back to the AntiGravity Propulsion Site

The X PRIZE

INTRODUCTION

The X PRIZE Foundation was established in 1994 as an educational nonprofit organization dedicated to inspiring private, entrepreneurial advancements in space travel. Through the X PRIZE -- an international competition that will award a $10 million cash prize to the first private team who safely launches and lands a vehicle capable of transporting three people on two consecutive suborbital flights to 100 kilometers altitude -- the Foundation plans to challenge present notions that only governments can send people and cargo into space.

The X PRIZE has been created for one purpose: to realize the dream of spaceflight for the general public. New and innovative spaceships will be created in pursuit of the prize. These vehicles will enable such markets as rapid intercontinental passenger and cargo transport, space tourism, and access to the bounty of resources available in space.

x15 COMPETITION:
Structured competition provides a focus, a point of light, a clearly defined finishing line to tempt those who dare to achieve that which has not been done before. Prizes help to focus unfocused energy. Prizes allow talent and new ideas to rise to the top, without "picking" a winner. They provide a spirit of competition which has been one of the most important driving forces since the dawn of humanity.

AIR/SPACE PRIZES:
In the early days of aviation several important prizes were offered to people who dared to "push the envelope" of technology and pilot their aircraft faster, farther, higher, better, and more efficiently. These prizes had the effect of accelerating the rate at which aviation and technology developed, bringing sooner the day when average citizens could fly from city to city as they wished.

As we approach the new millennium, we realize the great benefits to humankind space will provide in the coming decades. Indeed, space beckons humanity. In order to make sooner the day when average citizens will buy tickets into space, the X PRIZE Foundation will raise the money to award prizes to those who find a way to carry people into space more inexpensively, easily, and safely. These prizes, of which the X PRIZE is the first, bring romance back to the arena of space exploration. They will excite the young generations and initiate long-term, challenging efforts. Once the X PRIZE has been won, we will move to more ambitious prize undertakings including Earth orbit, the Moon and Mars.


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


From The CHAIRMAN of the X PRIZE Foundation

Welcome to the X PRIZE!

The X PRIZE was founded on May 18, 1996 in St. Louis for the specific purpose of stimulating the creation of a new generation of launch vehicles designed to carry passengers into space. Today if you are interested in flying there are only two options, the US Space Shuttle or the Russian Soyuz, and neither of these are available at a reasonable cost or on a regular basis to the general public. The problem is not the lack of financial resources among today's adventure tourists, nor the demand in the marketplace, but specifically the lack of licensed, low-cost, reliable vehicles. Taking a lesson from the history books, we modeled the X PRIZE after the early aviation prizes. Between 1905 and 1935, hundreds of aviation prizes stimulated the create of very different aircraft designs, each of which explored different regions of flight and different mechanisms for optimizing speed, safety and low cost travel. Today the X PRIZE is doing the same. Since our inception three years ago over 16 teams have registered for the competition and we have raised over $5M towards the prize.

Before the X PRIZE was established the idea of focusing on sub-orbital flight did not exist. Our efforts have put such a first step on the map. Today, the sixteen teams are designing totally novel methods of getting you and me into space in an affordable, repeatable and safe method.

The X PRIZE rules were carefully selected in cooperation with representatives from the Association of Space Explorers and our X PRIZE Committee. We have established each rule for a very specific purpose:

On behalf of the X PRIZE Board of Trustees, registrants and members we thank you for visiting our site and hope that you will choose to get involved and support this important effort.

Best regards,

Peter H. Diamandis
Chairman and President





To The Official X PRIZE Web Site

Back to the AntiGravity Propulsion Site