SpaceShipOne Wins the Ansari X-Prize
Private spaceflight is no longer a dream
by Carol Pinchefsky
by Carol Pinchefsky
Today, 4 October 2004, is a great day.
For space enthusiasts, today is the day that the Ansari-X-Prize
, established in 1996, was finally won by the ship SpaceShipOne. Company Scaled Composites
, after spending years of research and planning, walk away with hard-earned US$10 million in prize money.
For travelers and adventurers, today is the day another frontier opened--the frontier "up there." This is a new beginning for space enthusiasts, who have always dreamed of going to space. Soon, they can. CEO Burt Rutan said in statement today, "I strongly feel that...our program will mark the beginning of a renaissance for manned space flight."
For everyone else, today is the day that a small, industrious team took to the skies. Space travel could be achieved by a group of engineers, designers, and pilots, not just a monolithic space agency.
Today is the day that private spaceflight is no longer a dream. It's a reality.
Today, 4 October 2004, is a great day.
For space enthusiasts, today is the day that the Ansari-X-Prize
, established in 1996, was finally won by the ship SpaceShipOne. Company Scaled Composites, after spending years of research and planning, walk away with hard-earned US$10 million in prize money. For travelers and adventurers, today is the day another frontier opened--the frontier "up there." This is a new beginning for space enthusiasts, who have always dreamed of going to space. Soon, they can. CEO Burt Rutan
said in statement today, "I strongly feel that...our program will mark the beginning of a renaissance for manned space flight." For everyone else, today is the day that a small, industrious team took to the skies. Space travel could be achieved by a group of engineers, designers, and pilots, not just a monolithic space agency.
Today is the day that private spaceflight is no longer a dream. It's a reality.
