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X-Prize Teams Compared 
To get an idea of who is in the running and who isn't, I've come up with a comparison table of things that an X-Prize team needs to have done in order to be a serious contender. Things to consider are:
  • How many people are there in the team?
  • Has any component of the proposed system been constructed?
  • Is the basic notion known to be viable at all?
  • Are there any sponsors?
  • Have any proof-of concept calculations or studies been done?
  • Has any component of the system been tested?
  • Has any proof-of-concept prototype been flown?
  • Have static engine tests been made (successfully)?
  • What is the maximum height reached by any prototype or component?

Team

No. of People

basic idea

sponsors

calcs. studies

components constructed

Eng. tests

POC flown

Max. ht any test (m)

Rating (A/B/C)

Acceleration Eng.

1

suspect

none?

none?

none

no

no

n/a

C

Advent Eng.

>1

sound

not known

-

-

-

-

-

C

Amer. Ast. Corp.

?

sound

not known

probably

yes

?

no

n/a

C

ARCA

>1

sound

partial

probably

yes

yes

yes

  

B

Armadillo Aero.

>1

sound

full

probably

yes

yes

yes

?

A

Bristol Spacepl.

~4

sound

none

yes

models

no

no

n/a

C

Canadian Arrow

-

sound

partial

-

yes

yes

no

n/a

A

Da Vinci Project

-

suspect

-

probably

yes

-

-

-

B

Discraft corp.

-

suspect

no(?)

no(?)

none

none

none

n/a

C

Flight Exploration

1?

sound

no(?)

no(?)

none?

none

none

n/a

C

Fund. Tech. Sys.

?

sound

?

yes(?)

no

no

no

n/a

C

H.A.R.C.

7

sound

not known

yes?

yes

yes

no

  

B

IL Aerospace

6

suspect

some

yes(?)

yes(?)

yes(?)

no

n/a

C

Interorbital

6

sound

8

?

yes(?)

yes(?)

no

n/a

C

Kelly Space Tech.

?

sound

?

?

none (?)

no (?)

no

n/a

C

Lonestar

?

sound

?

yes

no(?)

no(?)

no

n/a

C

Microspace

4(?)

suspect

no(?)

?

?

?

no

n/a

C

Pablo De Leon

1

sound

?

?

mock-up

none

yes

96,000'

C

Panaero

?

suspect

?

?

no

no

no

n/a

C

Pioneer

?

sound

?

?

no(?)

no

no

n/a

C

Scaled Comp.

>1

sound

full

yes

yes

yes

yes

>100,000

A

Space Transport Corp.

2

sound

partial

yes

yes

yes

yes

~100

A

Starchaser Ind.

>10

sound

partial

yes

yes

yes

yes

~2000

B

Sub Orbital

?

sound

?

?

no(?)

no(?)

no

n/a

C

TGV

4

suspect

?

yes(?)

no

no

no

n/a

C

Vanguard

6

sound

?

probably

none

no

no

n/a

C