Was the X prize a big waste?

Question

I don't hear of any progress from the winners of the X prize. No more launches.

Answer 1

No, no, no, no, NO! Not only was it not a waste of money, but several companies are building commercial suborbital vehicles right now. And the publicity was even more important than that, changing the public perception of space tourism from a bad joke to a reality. Virgin galactic already has several million dollars in deposits, and even full payment for tickets, on the first few flights of SpaceShip Two that Burt Rutan (the winner of the X-prize) is working on right now.

Answer 2

Here is what Scaled Composites (Rutan's company) are doing. Sounds like progress to me.

http://www.scaled.com/news/2005-12-14_virgin_new_mexico_spaceport.html

Answer 3

Were you contributing your own money to fund it (as we do involuntarily via tax-funded NASA)??? If not, you have no cause to complain, however slowly progress may be made.