A long time ago some one launched a contest with a pretty big pot of prize money:
$10 Million cash prize will be awarded to the first team that:
* Privately finances, builds & launches a spaceship, able to carry three people to 100 kilometers (62.5 miles)
* Returns safely to Earth
* Repeats the launch with the same ship within 2 weeks
The word on the street (well, the X-Prize website) is that after years of development by numerous teams, the time has finally come. One lucky team is likely to cross the finish line within a mere six months.
And Russia, whose Communist organizational skills gave it victory in premier league (open only to states) category, has its own team in the inefficient capitalists category! Cosmopolis 21. I have no idea if they are in with a chance of winning, but technical specifications and a pretty picture, are available here for those of you who appreciate technical specifications and pretty pictures.
