The Aero-News Network (ANN), the Aviation World’s DAILY News Service (http://www.aero-news.net), has been designated by the Ansari X Prize and X Prize Foundation to provide specialized news and news pool services for the upcoming launches of SpaceShipOne and the daVinci Project starting September 29th, 2004.

The X PRIZE Foundation is a $10 million prize to jump-start the space tourism industry through competition among the most talented entrepreneurs and rocket experts in the world. Following in the footsteps of over 100 aviation prizes offered between 1905 and 1935 that created today’s multibillion dollar air transport industry, the ANSARI X PRIZE will be awarded to the team that designs the first private spaceship that successfully launches three humans to a sub-orbital altitude of 100 km on two consecutive flights within two weeks. All teams must be privately financed.

The American Mojave Aerospace Ventures, LLC Team (a partnership between Paul G. Allen and Burt Rutan and his team at Scaled Composites) has given the required 60-day notice and has scheduled its first competition flight on September 29th, 2004, at the Mojave Airport Civilian Aerospace Test Center in Mojave, California. To win the $10 million, SpaceShipOne will need to make a second flight within two weeks (by October 13th, 2004). The second flight is tentatively scheduled for October 4th, 2004… the 47th Anniversary of the Sputnik launch.

The Canadian da Vinci Project Team, now called “The GoldenPalace.com Space Project: Powered by the da Vinci Project," has also notified the ANSARI X PRIZE of its intention to conduct its first launch on October 2nd, 2004, marking its official entry in the international, commercially-funded space race competition.

The resulting competition is expected to be both dramatic and exciting.

Aero-News was selected by the Rutan group to cover the intensive air-to-air photographic effort that documented Astronaut Mike Melvill’s successful June 21st sub-orbital flight to just over 100km. This effort produced striking images and stories that were seen by millions of people all over the world. ANN staffers also provided expert news resources to numerous media outlets.

In announcing the selection of Aero-News, X Prize Chairman, Founder and President Dr. Peter H. Diamandis (pictured below), noted that, "We're excited to be working with Jim Campbell and Aero News Network (ANN) to get the word out to the world. After 10 years of work, making sure this historic event is seen and heard around the world by the right audience is critical. ANN is making this happen. We are grateful for their tremendous support and outreach."

Staffed by a solid group of aviation journalists, aviators, photographers and test pilots, ANN is uniquely qualified to render expert aviation and aerospace news services to the world on behalf of the X Prize Foundation. Aero-News will be tasked with a number of chores during the exciting X Prize attempts, including ground and air-to-air photography, daily progress reports, specialized interviews, and radio updates. ANN Editor-In-Chief Jim Campbell noted that, “We’re thrilled to have another ring-side seat to history, and look forward to helping the world see and understand that private access to space is a part of all our futures.”

ANN’s X Prize news team will be led by ANN Editor-In-Chief Jim Campbell and supported by Senior Editor Pete Combs, Correspondent Kevin O’Brien, and Aerospace Historian/Cartoonist/Illustrator Wes Oleszewski.

News organizations in need of pool photography and news materials are instructed to contact the Aero-News Network at 800-356-7767 or via publisher@aero-news.net to work out all special requirements well in advance of the launches.

FMI: www.aero-news.net