In support of its mission to broaden public awareness of the benefits of space exploration, the Aerospace Research and Engineering Systems Institute is giving the public the opportunity to take the ride of a lifetime to the edge of space! We have established an innovative contest giving any U.S. citizen age 18 or older the chance to purchase tickets at $10 a piece to be placed into a raffle.
Commercial passenger spaceflight is expensive, with fares costing hundreds of thousands of dollars. At such a high price, most people simply can't afford to experience spaceflight.
This contest is designed to give the opportunity for a member of the public to fly aboard a commercial spacecraft who otherwise wouldn't have the opportunity by raising funds to cover the cost of the flight and then awarding the seat to one of the participants in the contest.
The contest will end when either the required number of tickets have been sold to cover the prize costs or on December 31, 2012, whichever comes later. This ensures that sufficient funds are raised for the spaceflight and that everyone will have an adequate opportunity to purchase tickets.
At the end of the contest, one ticket will be selected at random from all of the entries. The owner of the selected ticket will be awarded the prize of a suborbital spaceflight on a commercial passenger space vehicle.
During his or her flight, the individual will fly to 60 miles above the surface of the Earth and experience several minutes of weightlessness before re-entering the atmosphere and gliding to a smooth runway landing.
Less than 500 people have flown in space all history of humankind. Hundreds more have lined up to ride on the futuristic commercial space vehicles now in development. For example, Virgin Galactic currently has 400 people who have signed up and placed deposits for rides aboard their spaceships.
This contest is designed to both provide an opportunity for a member of the public to experience spaceflight as well as act as a fundraising vehicle for the organization. ARES Institute is a 501 c(3) non-profit formed in the State of Florida and relies on donations, in-kind contributions and grants to support its programs.
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