America's Space Prize

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The America's Space Prize Logo
The America's Space Prize Logo

America's Space Prize is a US$50 million orbital spaceflight competition established and funded by hotel entrepreneur Robert Bigelow. The prize will be awarded to the first US-based privately-funded team to design and build a reusable manned capsule capable of flying 5 astronauts to a Bigelow Aerospace inflatable space module. The prize expires January 10, 2010. There must be two flights within 60 days. The teams must be based in the United States of America.

Contents

[edit] Prize rules

  1. The spacecraft must reach a minimum altitude of 400 kilometers (approximately 250 miles);
  2. The spacecraft must reach a minimum velocity sufficient to complete two (2) full orbits at altitude before returning to Earth;
  3. The spacecraft must carry no less than a crew of five (5) people;
  4. The spacecraft must dock or demonstrate its ability to dock with a Bigelow Aerospace inflatable space habitat, and be capable of remaining on station at least six (6) months;
  5. The spacecraft must perform two (2) consecutive, safe and successful orbital missions within a period of sixty (60) calendar days, subject to Government regulations;
  6. No more than twenty percent (20 percent) of the spacecraft may be composed of expendable hardware;
  7. The contestant must be domiciled in the United States of America.
  8. The contestant must have its principal place of business in the United States of America;
  9. The Competitor must not accept or utilize government development funding related to this contest of any kind, nor shall there be any government ownership of the competitor. Use in government test facilities shall be permitted; and
  10. The spacecraft must complete its two (2) missions safely and successfully, with all five (5) crew members aboard for the second qualifying flight, before the competition’s deadline of Jan. 10, 2010[1]

[edit] Contestants

As of 2006, some 40 companies had expressed interest in the prize, but either didn't have the money which would apparently be needed, or, in the case of SpaceX, were ineligible due to having accepted government funding.[2]

A few contestants have been:

[edit] See also

v • d • e
Space tourism
Major private companies
Organizations
Successful spacecraft
Living in space
Historical events

[edit] References

  1. ^ Leonard David. "Exclusive: Rules Set for $50 Million 'America’s Space Prize'", Space News, November 8, 2004. 
  2. ^ Jeff Foust. "Bigelow Aerospace’s big day at the rodeo, part 2", The Space Review, July 24, 2006. 
  3. ^ "Space racers set sights on orbital frontier: After X Prize, some rivals seek more lucrative payoff", MSNBC.com, Oct. 8, 2004. 
  4. ^ "JP Aerospace Information update AND JPA will compete for the Bigelow American Space prize", The International Space Fellowship, January 25th, 2005. 
  5. ^ spacedev.com, accessed in 2005?
  6. ^ Michael Belfiore. "Race for Next Space Prize Ignites", Wired, 18 Jan 2005. 

[edit] External links

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