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X Prize Competition Gets New Sponsor, Amended Name

Posted by simoniker on from the kerching dept.

An anonymous reader writes "The X Prize Foundation today announced that entrepreneurs Anousheh Ansari and Amir Ansari have made a multi-million dollar contribution to the X Prize Foundation. As a result, the X Prize Competition is being renamed to the Ansari X Prize Competition." However, the X Prize rules stay the same: "The ANSARI X PRIZE will award $10 million to the first private organization to build and fly a ship that can carry three passengers 100 km (62 miles) into space, return safely to Earth and repeat the launch with the same ship within two weeks. Both flights must be completed by January 1st, 2005."

10 of 203 comments (clear)

  1. Wow by TheKidWho · · Score: 5, Insightful

    What a great way to buy one's name into the pages of history.

    1. Re:Wow by KJACK98 · · Score: 5, Informative

      http://www.gmu.edu/alumni/spirit/00fall/ansari.htm l If you look at the donators background, I don't think you could find a better or more honorable person to have sponsored this event... This woman definitely deserves her name to be recorded with X Prize's History...

  2. Money talks... by LostCluster · · Score: 5, Funny

    Sponsors get naming rights on just about everything these days, so it's not surprising the X-Prize wasn't immune... next thing you know somebody's going to buy the rights to put ads on baseball bases.

  3. Increase the prize money and extend the date by erick99 · · Score: 5, Interesting
    This has been an extremely exciting contest, yet, I don't think that any of the competitors are going to be able meet the requirements to claim the prize:

    The ANSARI X PRIZE will award $10 million to the first private organization to build and fly a ship that can carry three passengers 100 km (62 miles) into space, return safely to Earth and repeat the launch with the same ship within two weeks. Both flights must be completed by January 1st, 2005

    I hope they extend the date and I also hope the prize money goes up. I think the major entrants have all spent more than $10,000.000 as it is. Still, I don't think they are doing it primarily for the money anyway.

    Happy Trails!

    Erick

    --
    http://www.busyweather.com/
  4. What kind of passengers? by rms_nz · · Score: 5, Funny
    fly a ship that can carry three passengers

    I notice it doesn't say what kind of passengers - wonder if mice are acceptable?

  5. Let the marketing drones call it what they want. by Scrameustache · · Score: 5, Insightful


    I'll just keep calling it "the X prize" until there is more than one.

    --

    You can't take the sky from me...

  6. Mods - get the whole joke? by Ieshan · · Score: 5, Informative

    This was an obvious joke, but I'm not sure if moderators really get it-

    Ads really are going on baseball bases. Spiderman 2 has bought the rights to put some logos on baseball bases in the next few weeks.

    Next thing you know, corporate sponsors will be buying insightful or funny slashdot posts.

    THIS POST BROUGHT TO YOU BY MCDONALDS. WE'RE LOVIN' IT.

  7. This just in... by phillymjs · · Score: 5, Funny

    ...the competition is now known as "Pepsi Presents the Ansari X Prize Competition"

    (Why, yes, this was an obligatory Simpsons reference, thank you for noticing!)

    ~Philly

  8. What I want to know... by TechnoFreek · · Score: 5, Interesting

    is can NASA take a rocket up 100 km with 3 people, take it down, and put it back up again within 2 weeks?

  9. Re:Loopholes by nomadic · · Score: 5, Funny

    It's even stricter than that. Rule 5 says "The crew must return to the Earth's surface from both flights in good health as reasonably defined and judged by the X PRIZE Review Board."

    That's a good way to avoid paying.

    Successful Cosmonaut: Hi, I successfully piloted to outer space and back. I'm here for my 10 million.

    X Prize Review Board Member: Uhh...sorry, you have to be in good health.

    Cosmonaut: What? I'm in perfect health. The mission went off without a hitch.

    Board Member: No, you definitely look a little peaked. And let me feel your forehead...Ah, yes, you're burning up.

    Cosmonaut: No, I'm fine, I've never felt better.

    Board Member: You're at death's door. No prize for you.