These people are based in Israel, and have attracted some sponsorship. the basic configuration of their X-Prize attempt vehicle is a squat cabin-like structure, fitted with a hybrid rocket motor of some 5 tonne thrust, using poly-butadiene (synthetic rubber) as fuel with liquid oxygen oxidiser. The "Negev-5" vehicle is hoisted up to about 30km with a (very large!) hot-air balloon.  At this height, the Negev-5 would be released and the engine ignited. The team briefing, downloadable from the X-Prize site, indicates that launch of a 1/3-scale version of the balloon with a payload will be attempted in December 2003. The final X-Prize attempt with the finished vehicle is projected to be during October 2005.

It is an interesting idea, to use a balloon to pull oneself up around one third of the way to the X-Prize height without expenditure of energy, but the thought of detaching the vehicle, then dropping clear and away from the balloon, and then igniting the engine in the correct orientation to take it safely upwards fills me with unease. How is this capsule going to manoeuvre, since it seems to have no aerodynamic surfaces? It can't fire straight up through the balloon. I don't like it, I really don't. As of December 2003, little seems to have been done, apart from engine tests (there's a photo). Almost all teams have done that, at least, so it is not looking too promising for the people of IL Aerospace, right now. The latest news from IL Aerospace, December 31st 2003, is that they have changed some details of their design. The basic concept of a balloon launch is the same, but the balloon is changed, and the boosters are now commercial SRBs and not the proprietary hybrid design. I still don't think it is going to work.

The design has been updated. The Negev-5 no longer looks like the above illustration. There has been little news about these people from 2005-6. Maybe they have gone off the scene.

Click the logo below to go to the IL site (if it is still there, that is).