SpaceShipOne

[KLang]

Today is the day of the first attempt for a privately owned rocket to reach space.

CNN story (http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/space/06/21/suborbital.test/index.html)


http://i.cnn.net/cnn/2004/TECH/space/06/21/suborbital.test/top.SS1glide_lr.jpg


Good luck and be safe. :thumbup:

[Turn7]

Goal accomplished.

[KLang]

Goal accomplished.

Yep, Now need a safe landing.

[G.]

They have to do the three person run, and repeat by the end of THIS year to get the prize, right?

I think I heard that the deadline is Dec 31, 2004.

[KLang]

Down safely :thumbup:

Mike Melvill, the worlds first private astronaut:

http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/040621/040621_spaceship_jubo_hmed_9a7.h2.jpg

[Wheel-Nut]

They have to do the three person run, and repeat by the end of THIS year to get the prize, right?

I think I heard that the deadline is Dec 31, 2004.


The SpaceShipOne team is heavily favored to win the Ansari X-Prize, a $10 million purse that will go to the first private spacecraft capable of carrying three people to an altitude of at least 62.5 miles twice within two weeks. Scale Composites is one of 26 teams from seven countries registered for the seven-year old competition. Currently, the prize is scheduled to expire on Jan. 1.

[Madmaxfan2]

The amazing thing is not that this method of space travel has been used before, but the relatively lost cost of the effort. 20Million plus$. Michael Shumacher's salary could pay for this effort, or Minardi spends more $$$ for F1 than this effort. NASA did this mode of travel with the X-15 rocket plane, which gained 5 miles more altitude with more speed. However, I doubt that the X-15 program cost less in 1958 dollars than Rutan's effort.