SpaceShipOne, SpaceShipTwo, and X-Prize Updates

Burt Rutan, the renegade designer largely responsible for the success of SpaceShipOne, recently made some interesting statements about the future of space.

In an article by Space.com, Rutan stated that his rocket was seen as a "toy" by the larger aeronautics industry. 

Yet, his toy has sustained very little damage in reaching space, and it has achieved its goals using cheaper and simpler technologies than industry giants. 

While SpaceShipOne might not be elegant, its simple effectiveness inspires possibility.

And, Rutan's toy has already inspired SpaceShipTwo. Recently, Rutan told Space's, Leonard David, "Wait 'til you see SpaceShipTwo...it is erotic."

Rutan is predicting an explosion in the private space race this decade, and if you buy Rutan's vision, orbital space will be as common as long distance air travel in just 20 years.

X-Prize moves on

The X-Prize announced that it will become an annual event - hosted in New Mexico - called the X-Prize Cup.

International Fuel Technologies has announced that it would be a sponsor of the event. 

The first X-Prize Cup will start in 2005. Multimillion dollar prizes are again expected for some events. The contest is still a bit open-ended at this time. Aside from space issues, the X-Prize Cup will also deal with other societal issues, such as transportation, nanotechnology, aging deceleration, and education.

More information at http://www.wtnxprize.org