The idea of escaping earth's atmosphere is as old as man.. or at least as old as realizing there is an atmosphere up there. For the last 40+ years, manned flights up to and beyond the edge of space have been strictly the province of national aerospace organizations like NASA, Energia, or the ESA. Now, 20 teams are poised at the brink of a $10 Million prize and worldwide fame. No, its not Survivor, Orbital-style. Its the X-Prize!.