PRESS RELEASE

FOR RELEASE ON OCTOBER 04, 2004

THE HEINLEIN PRIZE TRUST CONGRATULATES

SPACESHIPONE !

The Trustees of the Robert A. and Virginia Heinlein Prize Trust congratulate the Mojave Aerospace Ventures Team and their successful flight of SpaceShipOne!

The launch of the privately funded ship made what appears to be a successful bid to win the Ansari X Prize in the early hours of this morning, reaching sub-orbital space before reentering Earth’s atmosphere to land safely at the Mojave Space Port. The X Prize is a $10 million award to jumpstart the space tourism industry through competition among the most talented entrepreneurs and rocket experts in the world.

The flight of SpaceShipOne, funded by Paul Allen, designed and built by Burt Rutan, and piloted by Brian Binnie, shares this historic date with the launch of Sputnik in 1957. SpaceShipOne made its first test flight into space on June 21, returning to space September 29, piloted by Mike Melvill, to make the first of its X Prize qualifying flights.

Both the Heinlein Prize Trust and the X Prize share the optimistic, forward-looking view that the future of the human race lies in expanding into space, and believe that goal can be achieved through private space ventures. The Heinlein Prize Trust, however, is focused on practical commercial advancements that produce substantive results in the area of space enterprise. Future Heinlein Prize Trust winners may, or may not, be dealing directly with space flight advances.

The Heinlein Prize honors the memory of Robert A. Heinlein, a renowned American author. Both Robert and his wife Virginia were strong advocates of human advancement into space through commercial endeavors. The purpose of the Heinlein Prize is to encourage and reward progress in commercial space activities that advances their dream of humanity's future in space.

The Heinlein Prize Trust will present a substantial award to the individual or individuals who achieve practical accomplishments in the field of commercial space activities.

Winners will receive a medallion, a diploma and a monetary award. The first Heinlein Prize award has been set by the Trustees at $500,000.

The Heinlein Prize is worldwide.

The Trust has three Trustees: Art Dula, Buckner Hightower and James M. Vaughn.

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