*The following is archival content from 2003, hosted on the original X PRIZE website, to maintain authenticity.

Quote from Steve McGrath

"The ANSARI X PRIZE will at last show the world that we are on the edge of an exciting time in human history. What has for so many centuries been only a dream will soon become a reality, not only for the chosen few but for all who accept the challenges, perils, and rewards that await us in the vastness of space."

Flight Sequence

The four-man Eagle rocket is lifted to 50 km by the first stage. The second stage will carry the Eagle to an altitude of about 75 km wherethe spacecraft will separate. The booster stages return to Earth via parachute, while the capsule coasts to 100 km. At apogee, the crew experiences about five minutes of micro-gravity.

After the attitude thrusters orientate the Eagle capsule for re-entry, with the blunt end of the crew capsule absorbing the heat of re-entry, the capsule is guided on course in a similar fashion as the capsules of the Mercury program. At the appropriate altitude, the drogue and main parachutes deploy for a splashdown and safe recovery of the crew. The booster stages and spacecraft will splash down and be recovered, refurbished then prepared for the next flight.