【Scenario】
Oneoftheflow-oneffectsoftheX-Prizewasthefactthatitchangedpeople'sthinking.BeforetheX-Prize,theprevailinglogicwasthattheonlywaytomakemoneyfromdevelopingarocketandaspaceshipwastooffersatellitelaunches.PostX-Prize,everyonestartedtalkingaboutspacetourismastherealpotentialcashcowofthefuture.Andthisprizewassoalluringthatallkindsofdifferentideaswerestartingtocometolight.
【MainText】
Forexample,acompanycalledRocketPlanecameupwiththenovelsoundingconceptofofferingpeopleouterspacemarriages.ThecompanywenttoworkonmodifyingaLearjetaddingarocketenginesoitwouldbeabletocoastoutoftheatmosphereatsupersonicspeedandprovidea4-minutesuborbitalflightduringwhichtheweddingceremonycouldbeperformed.
RichardBranson,meanwhile,hadcontractedwithScaledCompositestobuildafleetoffivespacelinerstoestablishhisnewenterprise,VirginGalactic.ThenewtouristspaceshipsareeffectivelyascaledupversionofSpaceShipOneandarethereforecalledSpaceShipTwo.Theywillcarrytwopilotsandsixpayingpassengers.Eachpassengerwillbegiventhreedaysofpreflighttrainingtoacclimatizethemselvestotheg-loadsandweightlessnesstheywillexperienceonthesuborbitalflights.PassengerswillalsogettoridethescaledupversionofthemothershipcalledEve(afterBranson'smother)asitlaunchestheflightaheadofthem.BothEveandSpaceShipTwowillhaveidenticalcabinlayouts,soridinginEvewillbegoodtrainingfortherideintospace.VirginGalacticplanstochargearound$200,000forticketsandthecompanycollectedmorethan$13millionindepositsbytheendof2006—morethanayearbeforelaunch.
InadditiontobuyingafleetofRutan-builtspaceliners,BransonhasalsomadeadealwiththestateofNewMexicotobuilda$225millionspaceportfromwhichVirginGalacticwilloperate.Thespaceportwillhaveapassengerterminal,trainingfacilitiesandresort-stylelodgingbuilttoastandardwhichhighnet-worthindividualswhoarelikelytobuyticketswillexpect.
ItdoesappearlikeRocketPlaneandVirginareracingeachotherfortheprivilegeofbeingthefirsttoofferjoyridesintosuborbitalspace.Thetwocompaniesareusingdifferenttechnologiesanddifferentapproachestothechallengesathand,buttheirbusinessplansareroughlythesame.Bothenterprisesseetheirfuturerevenuescomingfrombeingabletoofferarideintospacepassengerswillpaygoodmoneytoenjoy.
Therearealsosomeothersimilarprojectsunderwayelsewhere.XCORAerospace,locatedattheMojaveAirportnextdoortoScaledComposites,ishardatworkdevelopingatwo-seaterspaceshipcalledtheXeruswhichwouldlaunchfromarunwayandheadintospaceusingrocketpoweronly.Inanotherproject,Amazon.comfounderandCEOJeffBezosisfundingtheestablishmentofaspaceshipcompanyusinghisownmoney.BezoshascalledhisnewsuborbitaltouristspaceshipNewShepard.Itwillbecompletelyautomatedandwilltakeoffandlandonitstail.By2006,Bezoswasflight-testinghardwareandhisnewspaceshipisscheduledtolaunchrevenue-producingtouristflightsby2010.