Ansari X Prize

The Ansari X Prize was a $10 million competition launched in 1996 to encourage the development of private space travel. It challenged teams to build a reusable spacecraft capable of carrying three people to an altitude of 100 kilometers (the boundary of space) and returning safely to Earth, twice within two weeks. The prize was named after its sponsors, including the Ansari family. In 2004, Mojave Aerospace Ventures, led by Burt Rutan, won the prize with SpaceShipOne, marking a significant milestone in commercial spaceflight and inspiring further advancements in the aerospace industry.