The Annual X PRIZE Cup

The X PRIZE Cup is the follow on competition to the successful Ansari X PRIZE Competition detailed further below. The annual X PRIZE Cup starts with an EXPO in October of 2005 and will follow each year with a full competition race to space. Imaging multiple rockets taking people to space in various categories all happening in one location at the same time each year – a mega-space-race all over a two week period based out of the New Mexico Space Port near Las Cruses, NM, USA. The X PRIZE Cup is destined to be one of the, if not the greatest annual competitions in the world rivalling the Americas Cup and other major sporting events.

The da Vinci Project was the number two runner up in the 9 year long initial Ansari X PRIZE Competition and is expected to complete its own first manned flights to space in 2006 ahead of all other competitors. We will carry onto greater heights, achievement and inspiration in the Annual X PRIZE Cup manned space flight competition series.

The ANSARI X PRIZE Competition

On May 18, 1996 a group of individuals led by Dr. Peter Diamandis got together and announced one of the most daring human achievement challenges ever. Build a manned rocket; fly it on 2 consecutive sub-orbital flights to space within a two week period.

In the competitive tradition of the early days of aviation, the Ansari X PRIZE, The New Race To Space, put forward this international aerospace race to win a US$10 million cash prize. The Wright brothers, Alexander Graham Bell and others including Charles Lindbergh all competed for prizes.

Space flight is nothing new, so what's the catch?

Governments need not apply! The X-PRIZE Foundation challenged the notion that only governments can send people and cargo into space. The Foundation created the Ansari X PRIZE for one purpose: to realize the dream of space flight for the general public.

The rules required that our vehicle carry the room and weight for three people but only one person need go along for the ride. We need to fly our entry twice within two weeks to show that the cost per flight is only the cost of fuel and the limited "touch-labor" that can be applied in this short time period.

Is this about the money?

As a Canadian team, this is about showing the world that there is more to Canada than a great beer commercial. As Prime Minister Diefenbaker once said, “ Canada had too much geography and not enough history". By competing for the Ansari X PRIZE Canada can go the distance and make world history by demonstrating world class results as innovators.

We are Canada's engineers, its scientists, its risk takers and its dream builders.

Please click here for more details on the X-PRIZE Foundation and the competition.