INTRODUCTION

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: As you will read in this section, 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 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 PRIZESM 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... Moon, Mars, and more.


X PRIZESM and NEW SPIRIT OF ST. LOUISSM are service marks of The X PRIZE Foundation, Inc.