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Sixty-Two And A Half Miles High Scottish SF writer Rod MacDonald on the X Prize Foundation and the strange British dreams of a privately funded space race.
First of all, with private finances build and launch a spaceship able to carry three people to an altitude of 100 kilometres (62.5 miles). The vehicle must carry three people and return them safely to Earth. Finally, to show it wasn't a fluke, the exercise has to be repeated within two weeks.
To learn more about the X Foundation and the Prize look up the website at: www.xprize.org The teams have varying expectations of winning the prize. We'll look at a British attempt shortly but first, let's examine exactly what winning entails. 100km isn't much further than the distance between London and Brighton. Though we think the Earth's surface is rough and undulating, were we able to hold it in our hands we'd be surprised at how smooth it really was. The tallest mountain ranges would hardly be detectable. The atmosphere is thicker but extends only a little further out. If the Earth we're holding was thirty centimetres across, 100km would be represented by a layer slightly more than two mm thick. At this altitude, the atmosphere is far too thin to allow anyone to exist but it's sufficiently thick to burn up meteorites and far too thick to permit satellites to remain in orbit. Launching up to this height will give a few minutes of weightless conditions for the occupants. They'll also see a black sky with crystal clear stars. However, it's basically a ballistic hop upwards which isn't even as high as the first sub-orbital fights of the USA Mercury programme. At 100km, there is no possible chance of going into orbit. This task doesn't require a huge rocket. This area of the atmosphere was explored by the American X-15 rocket planes which were dropped from a B52 bomber. Technically anyone travelling this high can claim that they are indeed an astronaut and it's this experience which will hopefully draw many fare paying passengers in the future. The British attempt to win the X Prize is being made by a company called Starchaser Industries. More information is available at: www.starchaser.co.uk The company, which has existed for over a decade, has the Prize as its main objective but the future plans call for an extensive space tourism program where six people will be launched on sub-orbital flights from Australia. Details of projected costs are not yet available but it won't be cheap. In the meantime, rocket development continues. They've launched fourteen successful missions, each one a step in the ladder which will lead up to the Thunderbird rocket and three man capsule which will hopefully take the X Prize within the next eighteen months. However, they'd better hurry. Some of the other attempts seem rather close too. $10 million may seem a lot money but it will be equivalent to the costs of the programme. With the publicity gained, future tourism for virtually everyone with available cash seems assured. While you won't need to be super fit with months or years training behind you, the sub-orbital flight demands a constitution capable of standing 4.5g for a short time and 3g for most of the ascent. Those with dicky tickers should probably stay at home. Space tourism so far has been limited to trips in Russian rockets costing millions. This won't be anywhere as costly. For the first time people will be able to realise their dreams and go into space. While you may think a queue for this is unlikely to form, think of the number of people now climbing Mount Everest? Our highest mountain is almost like a tourist attraction. Going into space will be cheaper and less demanding. Competitions on TV programs like the Lottery Show will take people on this ultimate journey. Pop stars and celebrities will think nothing of spending a week's wages to get spaced out. This is a Science Fiction dream becoming reality. For so long we've read about the exploration of space by fictional and real characters but for the first time a chance will exist for us to become a real spaceman. Rod MacDonald
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OTHER CONTENT - February 2004
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Do
you want $10 million? Following on the tradition of the great aviation
prizes of the early 20th century, this is the money on offer from
the X Prize Foundation for the accomplishment of what is seemingly
a relatively simple feat. 
Old hat, you may say. Deceptively simple! The Americans and Russians
could do this over forty years ago but they had plenty of money
and building any sort of rocket privately, notwithstanding one which
would be safe enough to launch humans, is a different proposition.
Surprisingly, there are now twenty-six teams around the world going
for this prize.
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