Private Spaceship - They did it!

hz2p · Post by **hz2p** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 8:50 am

I know there's an awful lot of anti-American sentiment here, but this is still pretty cool:

http://edition.cnn.com/2004/TECH/space/ ... index.html

Guido · Post by **Guido** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 8:55 am

Now they've just got to repeat the feat within two weeks to win the prize... I was really hoping the Canadian Arrow team was going to win... oh well! Good for Burt!

Panama Jack · Post by **Panama Jack** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 9:06 am

Politics and Technology are two very different issues.

It sounds fantastic, and congrats to Burt Rutan and his team.

I predict that in 5 years we will all be flying low-orbital aircraft.

Bcn-In-Bnd · Post by **Bcn-In-Bnd** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 9:21 am

Way to go RUTAN!

N2 · Post by N2 » Mon Jun 21, 2004 9:50 am

Just goes to show what the "homebuilders" are capable of!

just another pilot · Post by **just another pilot** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 11:57 am

I'm sure once NASA, FAA, and TC get involved - it will get too expensive.

N2 · Post by N2 » Mon Jun 21, 2004 12:07 pm

Didn't you mean that if they get involved they'll F it up?

wannabatp · Post by **wannabatp** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 2:38 pm

I think, in order to win the prize, they have to send up 2 crews of 3 each within 2 weeks.

The prize is still up for grabs!

Go Canada, GO!!

Cheers.

56BY111 · Post by **56BY111** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 3:24 pm

If TC gets involved then B. Rutan will be infracted for not adhering to proper cruising altitudes and for joining non-standard CCTS.

Mach1 · Post by **Mach1** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 3:56 pm

Great stuff. Good to see something new in the space race.

ahramin · Post by **ahramin** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 4:36 pm

The craft must be capable of carrying three people, but only one needs to make the trips. The other two can be sand bags or whatever.

Duke Elegant · Post by **Duke Elegant** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 5:30 pm

Why take a sandbag when you can take me....

I'll go.

ahramin · Post by **ahramin** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 5:38 pm

Uh, you do know there aren't any girls in space right Duke? I'm not as priapic as you and that is why i turned them down when they called.

5x5 · Post by **5x5** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 9:01 pm

As I was reading down I wondered if S&J would've noticed his favorite procedure.

Anyway, I think overall it's very cool and a good thing for aviation in general from a public perception point of view. And I also thought that Mike Melvill did a great job on the landing. It looked very smooth and precise for a dead-stick following what must have been a heck of a ride.

Wish I could've been there.

Blastor · Post by **Blastor** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 9:58 pm

Way to go Burt Wave

Cutetoes · Post by **Cutetoes** » Tue Jun 22, 2004 5:15 am

That is sooooooo kewl !! I hope we are seeing the beginning of another space race...sign me up !!

Bcn-In-Bnd · Post by **Bcn-In-Bnd** » Tue Jun 22, 2004 5:53 am

I am guessing that NASA is going nuts right about now.
Think about it, these guys put someone into space, without masive rockets (fire and all that scary stuff) and then they came back to earth without the need of a HEAT-SHIELD. Thats just way cool (and safe),
there is no dought in mind that RUTAN has got this prize all put in his Bank account.

I would not dought that NASA/faa will try and put a stop to this.

Mitch Cronin · Post by **Mitch Cronin** » Tue Jun 22, 2004 6:08 am

Bcn-In-Bnd wrote:and then they came back to earth without the need of a HEAT-SHIELD.

That's because they weren't in orbit... once they start messin' with orbital velocities, they'll be needing heat shields for re-entries too.

Bcn-In-Bnd · Post by **Bcn-In-Bnd** » Tue Jun 22, 2004 6:14 am

Griffon
...there you go getting all technical on me.

hz2p · Post by **hz2p** » Tue Jun 22, 2004 6:24 am

Their re-entry speed was probably around mach 3, which is a far cry from the mach 18 of the space shuttle.

To make things worse, I would suspect the leading edge temp probably doesn't vary linearly with speed - it's probably a function of v squared or even v cubed. Ask any Transport Inspector, I'm sure he'd be familiar with this.

Remember the X-15 would melt it's leading edges off even before it reached mach 6.

Blastor · Post by **Blastor** » Tue Jun 22, 2004 7:48 am

If you have lots of $$$$$$ you may want to talk to our Russian friends

http://www.spaceadventures.com/flight/orbital

Adanac · Post by **Adanac** » Tue Jun 22, 2004 4:48 pm

My Congrats to the whole team of SpaceShipOne. I hope to see Canadians joining the club real soon.

As for the future of this, who knows? Maybe one of the colleges in Canada will add another year to their courses.

".. and the monkey flips the switch."

Take Care All

. ._ · Post by **. ._** » Wed Jun 23, 2004 3:03 pm

See, just goes to show ya- once you're over 60 you can't fly anymore. Oh, wait a minute, I guess you can only fly UP TO OUTER SPACE BABY!!!

Wave

-istp

permateacher · Post by **permateacher** » Wed Jun 23, 2004 7:01 pm

anybody know where i can download the video from the flight?

Blastor · Post by **Blastor** » Thu Jun 24, 2004 8:32 am

Try Burt Rutan's company. Scaled Composite.

http://www.scaled.com/