Vehicles must be reusable, flying twice within a two-week period. The competition's goal, which has been endorsed by leading space and aviation organizations around the world, is to jump-start the commercialization of space, including space tourism. Humanity is faced with the greatest opportunity to venture and expand into the final frontier and realize that the sky is no longer the limit. Within the next four years we will see a new generation of spacecraft inspired by the spirit of this competition. The Cerulean entry taxis on a conventional runway about one mile long.
Engines begin to hum as the cryogenic tanks are pressurized and the brakes are released.
The thrust is increased to yield a 2G acceleration - the equivalent of the acceleration experienced on a playground swing. At 40,000 ft. the Cerulean vehicle pitches to 75 degrees and accelerates at 2Gs for approximately 2 minutes. The craft then coasts for two minutes and pitches down to 60 degrees 2.5 minutes later. The Cerulean vehicle then begins a gliding descent to the port of origin for refueling and another trip. The entire flight lasts under two hours, with approximately 4.5 minutes of zero G, quick turnaround time allows for multiple flights in one day.