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I don't know if any of you have heard of the X-prize foundation and their $10 million dollar prize to whomever can send 3 people past the threshold of space and then repeat the act within two weeks. Contestants must do this without government funding. Aside from the Mars Society, this is one of my favorite organizations.
Just think about it. I don't think industrial expansion will be the first reason humans go to space en masse. They will go there simply because of the view.
Several of the teams are looking at launching in Early/mid 2004 and several of the aspirant launch vehicles are in production. These are no half-wit dreamers with good web-sites, these folks are serious.
In the interests of my species
I am a firm supporter of stepping out into this great universe both armed and dangerous.
Bootprints in red dust, or bust!
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My favourite is Armadillo. Not that i think they'll definitely win, Burt Rutan lookks to be on the lead here, but the fact Armadillo put all their progress and setbacks online is so ...sweet.
Their design is also easily scalable to bigger stuff, while Rutan will have to build a completely new design if he wants to go 'bigger'
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Fixed another topic with artifacts
Finding so many topics of discusion that are of simular or the same topic means we need to try harder to stay on topic as well.
1. http://www.scaled.com
2. http://www.starchaser.co.uk
3. http://www.canadianarrow.com
4. http://www.harcspace.com
5. http://www.armadilloaerospace.com
Well Scaled did win the sub orbital flight but really has not gotten SS2 going very well....
Starchaser status really not progressing....
Canadian Arrow status is the same
Harcspace unknown....
Armadillo Aerospace working on lunar lander design with Nasa from what I recall
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