This prize is over?

Bigelow Aerospace and Lockheed Martin Converging on Terms for Launch Services
http://www.bigelowaerospace.com/news/

This, along with the fact that their website has absolutely NOTHING on the prize now, I think we can conclude that "America's Space Prize" is dead. Unless someone has evidence to the contrary.

Well the ASP was basically dead from the start on as the "good" XPrize companies went suborbital first and the new "orbital companies" worked with the US Government.

Let's be perfectly clear, I'm not talking about how feasible the prize is or whether anyone is trying for it. I'm talking about how it's Feb 2008 and the prize was suppose to expire in Jan 2010, and whether or not it even exists any more.

The price exists as they can't withdraw it. The money was notarial deposited. But why should Bigelow still advertise it when it's obvious that the major players all had governmental contracts and therefore disqualify and no other serious contender is in sight. So Bigelow has its $50 million back in 2010 and can invest it in their future programs.

Anyone seriously think that Bigelow would rely solely on a potential winner of the ASP without a backup plan?

I believe we are seeing the backup plan put into motion.

Exactly. Plus, they still are in their developement phase, so...

I just hope that Elon Musk will try it at the end of 2009, but i think the prizemoney is simply to low.

Elon Musk can't try, he has large governmental contracts. If I recall it correct, the only governmental help allowed was the use of things like governmental wind tunnels etc.

What kind of gov't involvment wasn't allowed? I suppose in the design/manufacture phase. But selling the product to a government was ok, I suppose?

The Department of Defense paid for development flights and NASA paid and pays for the COTS development which includes the development of a launcher (Falcon 9) and a capsule (Dragon) after NASA rules and specifications.

The COTS contract is a development contract, the possible leasing or buying of SpaceX's COTS services is still open (one of the reasons Kistler didn't get the fundings they needed!)

Well there is this.

But seriously, I don't know how this arrangement will work. I mean, funding both this and his own development (the inflatable hotel)?

http://www.ulalaunch.com/index_published.html#


http://www.ulalaunch.com/docs/publicati ... 6-7268.pdf

I think the Prize fails by being too ambitious. Trying to start on that scale is like expecting the Wright Brothers to have built a DC-10 instead of what they did.

The prize should be for a single seat "ULO" (Ultra Litht Orbiter), that merely goes to orbit, returns. Twice if need be.

Such a design was worked out in preliminary form for a screenplay in 1997. It was to weigh less than 2000 pounds on orbit, be flown by the pilot manually, like a Cessna 172 would be.

Consider that the Wrights flew solo till 1908, and airplane size grew only to 2 occupants for some time after.

Most taxis I see haver only the driver and one passenger. Start small.

I think you're right that it may well fail by being ambitious but I also think that from Bigelow's point of view it would be pointless to offer a prize for something he has no use for.

While it might make it easier to achieve, a single seat craft is of no use to him and once the money has been won what happens? Would he be expected to put up another prize? Bigelow's business is inflatable stations not funding a step by step development program.

If you are interested in passenger liners you dont sponser a coracle. It is for someone else to sponsor such a craft and I would have thought it would have been something NASA would have done under its centennial prizes program.

The ASP is not the prize. The prize is the business afterwards, and he will have to buy flights from someone.

The ASP was just a bit of juice to maybe widen the field.

If the money had been invested in high yeild securities (stocks), probably considerably less than the US$50 mil was the inital seed money that would eventually grow via compounding interest to the total in 2010.

Have you noticed how the stock market is doing recently? Didn't Bigelow make most of his money on real estate? Thats not doing so hot right now either...