【Scenario】
Thefoundationsofwhatistodaythemulti-billion-dollarcommercialaviationindustrywereneverlaidbygovernmentfundingorbyatightlycoordinatedresearchanddevelopmentprogram.Instead,agroupoftinkerers,garageinventorsandpart-timersrespondedtoaseriesofcashprizeswhichwereofferedbysomeofthepremierinstitutionsandindividualsofthatera.Someoftheseprizeswere:
·10,000Frenchfrancsforwhoevercouldaccomplishfifteenminutesofsustainedflight.
·$10,000forthefirstnonstoptransatlanticflight.
·$10,000forthefirstflightbetweenNewYorkandAlbany,adistanceof134milesbyair.
·$25,000forthefirstnonstopflightbetweenNewYorkandParis—wonbyCharlesLindberghflyingTheSpiritofSt.LouisinMay,1927.
【MainText】
WhenentrepreneurPeterDiamandisreadCharlesLindbergh'sbiography,herealizedthatLindbergh'smainmotivationinmakingthenonstopflightbetweenNewYorkandParishadsimplybeentowintheprizeonofferratherthantobeaheroictrailblazer.AsDiamandisreadthat,hethoughtthatsinceofferingprizeshadstimulatedtheestablishmentofthecommercialaviationindustry,perhapsthesamethingcouldhappentobringaffordablespacetraveltothemasses.Diamandisreasonedthiswouldbetheidealwaytochallengetheperceptionspaceexplorationwassoexpensiveitrequiredtheresourcesofgovernmentfundingtobeachieved.
Diamandisthereforegottheballrollingonwhatwouldlaterbecomeknownas"TheX-Prize".Hedecidedtheprizeonofferforthefirst＆nbsp;commercialspaceflighthadtobelargeenoughtoattractattentionbutatthesametimeithadtobeforsomethingwhichwaswithinreachtechnically.Afterdiscussingthisforawhilewithallkindsofdifferentpeople,DiamandisdecidedthefirstX-Prizeshouldbe$10millionofferedtowhoevercouldachieveasuborbitalflight—puttingaspacecapsuleintospaceandbringingitbackagainsafelywithoutactuallycompletinganorbitoftheearth.ThishadbeenthegoalofNASA'searlyMercuryprogramandDiamandisthoughtitwouldbeanidealfirststepforaprivatespaceindustry.