IV 108th CONGRESS 2d Session H. RES. 820 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES October 5, 2004 Mr. Rohrabacher (for himself, Mr. Boehlert, Mr. Smith of Michigan, Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas, Mr. Gutknecht, Mr. Smith of Texas, Mr. Ehlers, Mr. Hall, Mr. Feeney, Mr. Calvert, and Mr. Weldon of Florida) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Science RESOLUTION To congratulate Mojave Aerospace Ventures for winning the privately funded $10,000,000 Ansari X Prize and commend the X Prize Foundation for spurring this achievement.

Whereas the Ansari X Prize competition was created to promote the emerging commercial space transportation industry and inspire a new generation of explorers by accelerating the development of low-cost space launch vehicles for space exploration, tourism, science, and commerce; Whereas the X Prize Foundation, headed by space entrepreneur Dr. Peter Diamandis, offered a $10,000,000 prize to the first contestant to privately finance, develop, and launch a spaceship capable of carrying 3 people to 100 kilometers (62.5 miles) above the Earth, returning safely to Earth, and repeating the launch with the same ship within 2 weeks; Whereas the Ansari X Prize inspired 26 teams from 7 nations to invest their private funds and personal toil in pursuit of the dream of private space flight; Whereas Mojave Aerospace Ventures, led by aviation pioneer Burt Rutan and software pioneer Paul Allen, designed and developed SpaceShipOne, the winning entry in the Ansari X Prize competition; Whereas on June 21, 2004, SpaceShipOne, piloted by Mike Melvill, accomplished the first privately funded suborbital flight into space in the skies above Mojave, California; Whereas on September 29, 2004, SpaceShipOne, once again piloted by Mike Melvill, successfully completed the first of 2 suborbital flights in pursuit of the Ansari X Prize competition, flying to an altitude of 337,600 feet (102.9 km); and Whereas on October 4, 2004, SpaceShipOne, piloted by Brian Binney, successfully completed the second of 2 suborbital flights in pursuit of the Ansari X Prize less than one week later, flying to an altitude of 368,000 feet (112.2 km), and thereby winning the Ansari X Prize competition: Now, therefore, be it

That the House of Representatives— (1)congratulates Mojave Aerospace Ventures, led by Burt Rutan and Paul Allen, for winning the privately funded $10,000,000 Ansari X Prize and inspiring the next generation of space explorers to even greater heights; (2)commends the pilots of SpaceShipOne for their skill and bravery; and (3)commends the founders of, contributors to, and management of the X Prize Foundation for spurring this achievement.