But problems meant they were unable to go up again within the two weeks specified by the prize.
The writer doesn't have his facts straight. A competeing team has to FIRST give 60-day notice of intent to try for the prize. Rutan's team hadn't yet given notice, and in any event, there was only one person aboard when they reached the altitude requirement. IOW, the last launch was a test, and only a test, and not an attempt at the prize itself.
You're right in that this was only a test. However, as I understand it, they don't have to have 3 "real" people on board. They can use ballast to simulate the other two.