Yesterday the X Prize Foundation alerted the media that "several key announcements" will be made on July 27. Because the X-prize rules provide that any contestant must give 60 day prior notice before attempting to win the prize, there is speculation that the announcement will be a flight schedule for SpaceShipOne.
According to the X Prize Foundation press statement today, “representatives from major teams including Burt Rutan from the American Scaled Composites team and Brian Feeney from the Canadian da Vinci Project team will be present [for the announcement].
Burt Rutan has said that when his team does shoot for the prize it will make three flights instead of the two required to win.
So the first X-Prize-qualifying flight could be as early as late September? Cool.
Posted by: Phil at July 22, 2004 03:01 PMNot sure about that Phil. The X-Prize committee wants to know within 60 days, but we might not be told until much sooner than that.
Also, any juicy rumors on whether anyone else will go for it? Apparently, the da Vinci team head is going to be there as well as several others, but I haven't seen word on whether anyone will try aside from Scaled Composites. I'm going to create some Foresight Exchange (reputation-based betting market) claims on the matter once I get solid enough speculation.
Currently, I have claims on the chances (by begining of 2006) of Scaled Composites and Armadillo Aerospace. Bottom line Scaled Composites is the only one in the field right now at 86-89 (used to be 90-92 before I aggressively sold it).
If some of these other teams get into the act, then I'll add them as well.
Posted by: Karl Hallowell at July 22, 2004 09:47 PMI don't think he intends to fly three flights. I think he means that he'll schedule three, in case he misses one of them, so he still has time to get in the required two within the two-week period. If his first two are successful, then there would be no reason to fly the third.
Posted by: Rand Simberg at July 23, 2004 10:34 AMRand:
I could be wrong, but my reading of it is that Rutan intends to do three flights so that if there is any question about any one the flights the other two will win him the prize.
Posted by: Stephen Gordon at July 23, 2004 12:03 PM