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Romanian Team Entering X-Prize competition

Posted by timothy on from the enter-away dept.

cripkd writes "Although two days passed already I am proud to announce that a Romanian team launched a sub-orbital unmanned flight. Demonstrator 2 is a prototype to the actual shuttle they will enter in the X-Prize competition, build with 30,000 USD, pocket money, as they say, compared to the other projects. The project's home site is here and an article about the launch can be found here. PS. And it's all ecological as they produce oxygen and water vapours :)"

7 of 127 comments (clear)

  1. Good luck by ravenspear · · Score: 2, Insightful

    With only 4 months to go before the deadline, and Scaled inevitably winning before then, how does someone just entering now have any chance?

  2. what about Ansari ??????? by rasz · · Score: 3, Insightful

    How come its not ANSARI X PRIZE anymore ? Arent you forgetting something ? He is a BIG contributor to the prize pool, be nice and dont forget about him.

    --
    Go grab those torrents.
  3. Re:Certainly nice to see a spirit of competition! by kfg · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Perhaps, but bear in mind that not everyone's primary motivation is to win the prize, nor is the prize the only pot of gold at the end of the spacebow.

    Cheers to this new attempt by the Romanian team.

    I had a Romanian great grandfather, so I'll give a cheer to the old home team, but, yeah, I admit it, my money was on Burt from the start and don't exactly see any reason not to let it ride.

    KFG

  4. You Get What You Pay For by DarkElf109 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Yes, because I really want to send myself into a frozen vacuum inside a craft that cost less than most boats...

    --
    "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."
    -Arthur C. Clarke
  5. Re:Certainly nice to see a spirit of competition! by tomee · · Score: 2, Insightful

    That is the part that I find most amazing about the competition: Before the competition, there seemed to be very little activity. Then it came, and suddenly we have around 20 teams working on it, even though many of them know they won't win anything, since it will be won soon or run out at the end of the year. Still they keep going because it is not really the competition that is the goal, getting into space is the goal.

  6. Good Luck! by Fallen+Andy · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Hey, they need it. I don't think anyone except Burt Rutan's outfit have a snowballs chance in hell.

    But,it isn't about *winning* this prize. Even Burt doesn't really care about that. If in the 70 or so years you get on this planet you get to fulfil your dream (and create many others in younger minds) then
    consider yourself a worthy citizen (of the world)

    Losing isn't fun, but unless you try you'll never win.

    (Had to post this as an antidote to all the crass
    stupidity that claims to be typical /. fare)

    So mod me down ok?

  7. You can buy toy rockets that will go higher by prakslash · · Score: 2, Insightful
    I applaud their spirit and all but the Romanians didn't accomplish much after all. You can buy model rockets that will go higher than 1000m.

    The goal of x-prize is to reach a height of 100,000 m - about 100 times higher than what the Romanians achieved in their test flight. The flight has to be manned as well. They have a long way to go.