FREQUENTLY ASKED QUETSIONS Q: Who will compete for the X PRIZESM? A: Teams from several nations have already approached The X PRIZE Foundation. We expect that visionaries and entrepreneurs from around the world will compete. We anticipate that teams will emerge from experimental aircraft associations, amateur rocket societies as well as from existing launch companies. Q: Is the X PRIZE a far-fetched idea? A:The X PRIZE can be won with existing technology, it is not a far-fetched idea. Before the Wright brothers, people did not believe that human flight was possible. Before the Spirit of St. Louis crossed the ocean, people did not believe they could travel around the globe by air. Both of these achievements changed the world's consciousness with respect to air transportation. The X PRIZE is destined to achieve the same paradigm shift for space travel as was accomplished for air travel in the early part of this century. The X PRIZE is designed to encourage entrepreneurial thinking that makes use of existing technology, thereby ensuring the affordability, viability and accessibility of space flight for interested travelers and commercial entities. It is not far-fetched to believe that Earth orbit will be reachable and that private space travel soon will be possible for people of all nations. Q: Will teams from many nations compete for the X PRIZE? A:Yes, the X PRIZE Competition is open to any private individual, team, or corporation from any nation who abides by the rules of the competition. Q: Is the X PRIZE Competition safe? Will lives be lost? A: There is a risk. However, The X PRIZE Foundation is working to minimize that risk. For example, all entrants must abide by the rules and regulations of the country and region from which they launch. In addition, The X PRIZE Foundation is requiring all entrants to submit a highly detailed, official proposal at least three months prior to their initial flight attempt. This proposal must demonstrate adherence with all rules and reflect a serious effort on the part of the competitor. The history of such great accomplishments, be it the climbing Mt. Everest or the crossing of the Atlantic Ocean in 1927, demonstrates that human life may indeed be put at risk. One of the "Original Seven," astronaut Gus Grissom addressed this concern in an interview three weeks before his death on the launch pad of Apollo 1. He assured America, ìIf we die, do not mourn for us! This is a risky business we're in, and we accept those risks. The space program is too valuable to this country to be halted for too long if a disaster should ever happen." Q: Can competitors use technology that was developed with federal research and development money to build their X PRIZE Competition vehicles? A: Yes, as long as the technology is available on a commercial basis
to all competitors. The purpose of the X PRIZE is to encourage teams to
harness technology from existing sources as a supplement to their own ideas.
It is important that the teams utilize commercially available technology
so that their winning design can be reproduced to enable a commercial sub-orbital
space tourism business at a future date.
A: While every effort will be made to ensure the safety of those choosing to enter the X PRIZE Competition, entrants must be allowed to accept the risks associated with human spaceflight. In addition, X PRIZE entrants will be required to comply with (or obtain waivers to exempt them from) any and all international, national, regional, and local laws or regulations which pertain to the flight of their vehicle. X PRIZE entrants will obtain such insurance as required by their government, and will be liable for any and all damages caused by their vehicle. Neither The X PRIZE Foundation, Inc. nor the X PRIZE Committee will be held liable for any damage to property or person that may result from the competition or any associated events. Q: Why is a cash prize good motivation for the space industry? A: Throughout aviation history, cash prizes have been used to "push the edge of the envelope" with respect to speed, distance, and endurance of aircraft. Prizes have encouraged adventurers to accomplish great feats despite the associated risks. One of the best known prizes is the Orteig Prize which was eventually won by Charles Lindbergh. This prize stimulated not one, but nine different attempts to cross the Atlantic by air. Nearly US $400,000, 16 times the amount of the US $25,000 prize, was spent to win the prize simply because it was there to win! Cash prizes effectively opened up the aviation industry to the general public, and the X PRIZE will accomplish the same for the space industry. Q: Is $10 million a large enough prize to attract qualified competitors? A: The answer is an emphatic yes! The X PRIZE is substantial enough to attract qualified competitors. While the prize may not be large enough to attract a major defense contractor, it is big enough to attract individual entrepreneurs and small groups of innovators. Also, history has shown and common sense verifies that innovators will spend more than the value of a prize to capture the prestige and honor associated with being the winner. As mentioned, the Orteig prize is a prime example: Over US $400,000 was spent in an attempt to win the US $25,000 prize! Additionally, the Americaís Cup serves as a testament to the public appraisal of a prizeís value not being cast in monetary terms. Worldwide acclaim and high prestige motivate America's Cup entrants to raise up to $40 million each in the effort to capture a prize that yields no monetary reward! Q: How and why will the X PRIZE succeed in making space travel and tourism possible? A: X PRIZE participants will be encouraged to use existing technologies in innovative ways to reduce the cost of building and operating space vehicles. Not only the winning team, but also those who come close to winning the X PRIZE, will commercialize their sub-orbital spaceships and offer consumers rides into space at a fair price. The age of ìsub-orbital barnstormingî will be upon us, and a true space tourism marketplace will emerge. Sub-orbital rides will lead inevitably to orbital rides and orbital hotels. Reduced launch costs will also significantly improve the economics of traditional space-based business operations such as telecommunications and remote sensing, leading to further beneficial technological advancements.
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