X PRIZE CUP Tickets On Sale

08/31/05 00:00:00    

By Michael Mealling

E-Tickets Now Available for the Countdown to the X PRIZE CUP in New Mexico

Personal Spaceflight EXPO – Sunday October 9, 2005 – 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM

The X PRIZE Foundation is pleased to announce that E-Tickets for the Countdown to the X PRIZE CUP are now available for purchase from the official website www.xpcup.com. The event will take place Sunday October 9, 2005 from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM at the Las Cruces International Airport in southern New Mexico.

While only one emerging commercial space company was able to win the $10M Ansari X PRIZE, the Foundation firmly believes there are several companies that will soon create reusable launch vehicles of their own for use in the private sector. It is vital for any nascent industry to have an incubator and venue that will support and showcase their vehicles to the world, especially visionary investors and sponsors. The EXPO will be the worldÂ’s first space show at which the entire family can come and watch the next generation of space vehicles fly. They will see the vehicles up close, learn about the technology, build their own model rockets, operate robots, and even talk to astronauts.

For animated invitation please visit this link: http://www.xpcup.com/images/images_flash/anim_invite/XP_animInvite.html

About the X PRIZE CUP

Based on the success of the Ansari X PRIZE, The Foundation has partnered with the state of New Mexico to produce the X PRIZE CUP and assist in the development of the state’s Southwestern Regional Spaceport. On April 13, 2005, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson declared October 4 – 9, 2005 as X PRIZE CUP Week in New Mexico and during this time, tens of thousands of people will come to the state to see racing take new heights. Beginning in 2006, the X PRIZE CUP will be a week-long series of space-related events, including educational, launch, and test-flight activities, as well as aircraft fly-ins and tributes to the history of the state's aerospace industry. The events begin this October with the Countdown to the X PRIZE CUP in Las Cruces International Airport and Alamogordo Space History Museum in Southern New Mexico. Full details can be found at www.xprize.org.

About New Mexico's Aerospace Industry

Clear skies, mild weather, world-renowned research labs, and a growing aerospace industry make New Mexico an ideal location for the next generation of aerospace entrepreneurs. According to Economy.com, New Mexico’s cost of doing business is among the 10 lowest of the 50 states—due largely to our competitive wages and low energy costs. At the same time, we offer the infrastructure that aerospace firms need with Albuquerque International Sunport, White Sands Missile Range, two Air Force bases, many community airports, and the construction of the new $10 million Southwest Regional Spaceport in Southern New Mexico. Full details can be found at www.goNM.biz.

About the XPRIZE FOUNDATION

The X PRIZE Foundation is an educational nonprofit prize institute whose mission is to enable radical breakthroughs in space and technology for the benefit of humanity. On October 4th, 2004, the X PRIZE Foundation captured world headlines when Mojave Aerospace Ventures, led by Burt Rutan and Paul Allen, built and flew the worldÂ’s first private spacecraft to the edge of space to win the $10 million Ansari X PRIZE. Because of the dramatic nature of the achievement, the X PRIZE Foundation is now widely recognized as the leading model for fostering innovation through the use of competitions.For more information about the X PRIZE Foundation please visit www.xprize.org or telephone 310.587.3355.