space ship one wins the x-prize

[kingbunky 3]

they just touched down, altitude not yet confirmed, but it looks like they did it!

"Hang on a sec, the young'uns are throwin' beer cans at a golf cart."
MB4252 TDS699
killing threads since 2001

[SkymonkeyONE 3]

Brilliant. I watched the extended "black sky" thing last night and got caught up on all of it. I didn't realize they were doing the second flight today, but I just caught a replay of the landing on CNN.

[dbattman 0]

NASA should be hanging their heads and working on their resumes. Once again, private industry triumphs over government,

[pajarito 0]

"Black Sky" was a cool show! I watched the whole thing too. I hope this opens up a whole new ballgame as far as space travel and exploration goes. Maybe more will get done faster. That was some real "cutting edge" stuff they were showing. Very impressive.

[wmw999 2,131]

There's a little more to it than that. The flight is suborbital, and, well, people will take a whole lot more risk and danger from private industry than they will take from NASA.

Can we learn from it? Of course, and we're idiots if we don't. But I don't think it's safe to write NASA off quite yet, either.

Wendy W.
(NASA contractor)

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[Remster 24]

Quote

NASA should be hanging their heads and working on their resumes. Once again, private industry triumphs over government,

???

Not trying to redcue the amazing feat the guys from spaceship one did, but NASA's role and task isnt to fly a ship at the limit of space twice in a couple of week.

Remster

[Paige 0]

Quote

Brilliant. I watched the extended "black sky" thing last night and got caught up on all of it. I didn't realize they were doing the second flight today

I did the same thing last night. Woke up on the couch this morning cause I think I fell asleep as soon as it ended. Cool to know the flight was today. I hope they did it, everyone seemed really excited leading up to this so hopefully they won't fall short.

Tunnel Pink Mafia Delegate
www.TunnelPinkMafia.com

[TheAnvil 0]

Kick Ass. Congrats to RUTAN and team!

Vinny the Anvil
Post Traumatic Didn't Make The Lakers Syndrome is REAL
JACKASS POWER!!!!!!

[dbattman 0]

NASA has been 'thinking' about the space plane for ten years and nothing has happened. Need a research flight? Fire up the shuttle for $100 Million +. The only thing that I've ever seen have been good looking pictures drawn by artists as they continue to 'conceptualize.' Put up some money to the winner and the authority to conduct the flights and it gets done. Let these guys run with it and that plane will be hitting low orbit and carrying payloads in no time. This was a pilot and two passenger payload. That's three or four hundred pounds of equipment for a fraction of the cost of the shuttle.

If they put up $500 million to whoever puts a man on Mars and gets him back, it'll get done. The latest buzz is the space elevator. There's cash prizes to whomever design and presents the best individual components to that.

I love private industry. [TWO THUMBS UP]

[jceman 1]

Quote

they just touched down, altitude not yet confirmed, but it looks like they did it!

368,000 feet. That not only beats their own record, but beats the X-15's record with Scott Crossfield (I believe SC had the record, anyway).

Watched the whole flight on CNN, and there was none of the drama of last week's flight. What this showed me is that people can do amazing things yet. Hell, the entire flight was captured by a camera/tripod setup designed, built, programmed and run by high school kids; and it functioned wonderfully well.

Wendy, I don't think NASA's day is done, but this should shake the program mangaers to their roots because it proves you don't need to throw billions at a challenge to win it. Space flight will never be truly cheap, but the lumbering bureacracy that is NASA needs to change their entire mindset.

I don't think I'd relish the thought of getting on that bomb known as the shuttle with its attached bottle rockets, but a lightweight craft powered by tire rubber and nitrous seems a lot safer to me.

Faster horses, younger women, older whiskey, more money.

Why do they call it "Tourist Season" if we can't shoot them?

[dixieskydiver 0]

Watched Black Sky last night too, kicked ass. Scaled Composites kicks ass, Burt Rutan kicks ass, SpaceShipOne kicks ass. Kick ass! Very exciting stuff.

Dixie
HISPA #56 Facil Rodriguez
"Scientific research has shown that 60% of the time, it works every time."

[skydiver30960 0]

I saw the show last night too. What an awesome project. I agree with comments that this is another Kitty Hawk in the making. It won't happen today or tomorrow, but someday folks will point to these flights as the ones that got the ball rolling.

Quote

I don't think I'd relish the thought of getting on that bomb known as the shuttle with its attached bottle rockets, but a lightweight craft powered by tire rubber and nitrous seems a lot safer to me.

The one thing that really caught my eye on SS1 is the lack of pressurized suits. Nothing but a little fiberglass between you and the absolute vacuum of space.

I know, I know... if something goes wrong on a flight like that, a pressurized suit is nothing more than a security blanket because if the ship is damaged enough to depressurize then it probably isn't going to survive re-entry anyhow. But still, ya know...

Elvisio "beam me up scotty" Rodriguez

[lawrocket 3]

Nto Scott Crossfield (he was the first past Mach 2)

Joe Walker piloted the X-15 to 354,000 feet in 1963, a mere 41 years ago, and only a month after hitting 347,000 feet.

The government was pretty close this prize 40 years ago, but changed its priorities in the 60's.

My wife is hotter than your wife.

[Zenister 0]

Quote

people will take a whole lot more risk and danger from private industry than they will take from NASA.

your definitely on the inside, but i really wonder how true that is for the average american... I'd almost wonder if its not the politicians believing the public isnt willing to take more risks...

with great risks come great rewards.... I do wish they'd lighten up on the requirements to become an astronaut though.. i think that would help a great deal... if more people saw the chance to personally become involved.. i think that is the appeal the private sector has over NASA.

____________________________________
Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.

[wmw999 2,131]

Even with the current requirements, there are way more applicants than positions. That free market thing and everything.

Go back a year and a half, to when Columbia exploded. There was an awful lot of talk about unwarranted risk, and "how slipshod" NASA is, and the culture of listening only to what you want to hear, and the rest.

I work on a a national monument. Large mistakes hit the newspapers and get talked about in Congress. That makes one awfully risk-averse, and that's a shame in a lot of ways. On the other hand, this is still a risky business, and there is nothing else with the lift capability of the shuttle right now.

The shuttle is outdated, yes. And the process by which it is maintained, manifested, and supported is incredible in its size. And just about every single time I hear about something that sounds ridiculous, right close to that "ridiculous" item or process is the story of the lesson that was learned the hard way and led to its existence.

It'd be very nice to have it be less cumbersome. There isn't anyone I know here who wishes it were harder and more cumbersome to get things done.

Wendy W.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[n2skdvn 0]

I would like to commend wendy in her work at NASA she does a great job there and they are a great team.
mr.rutan did the impossible(i did watch the discovery channel last night). Brian Binnie did a great job piloting the ship today. and i would also give kudos to Mike Melvill the first commercial astronaut in space. these two men are paving a road for us to challenge the stars!and have made my dream of going into space a possibility.

if my calculations are correct SLINKY + ESCULATOR = EVERLASTING FUN
my site

[aero04 0]

I agree with Wendy on this one. Don’t count NASA out just yet. I must say my feelings toward the future of space travel have changed a bit with the events of the last week, but there is a HUGE difference between a quick suborbital flight and achieving earth orbit. Before the public starts writing NASA off, lets see what these companies pull off in the way of orbital flight. They’ve got a long way to go to catch up to what NASA has achieved in the last 40+ years. But they certainly have what it takes to move on to the next step.

I must admit, watching SS1 fly and the “Black Sky” program last night, this next step in spaceflight is exciting. I can’t wait to see what Rutan has planned next.

Lynn
(also a NASA contractor)

[flyhi 24]

I was recently at the San Luis Obispo airport restaurant. After a wonderful lunch, I went to the men's room and there, for almost all to see was a poster of many of Dick Rutan's innovative designs. The kicker was, it was signed by Dick. Oh, the prestige. Gotta believe after this flight, they will move it to a better location. Maybe the ladies room or the kitchen.

Shit happens. And it usually happens because of physics.

[PhreeZone 15]

Rutan already said he's got the design for SS2 drafted and its designed to go orbital. Considering it took him 3 years to go from concept to suborbital, and he was dreaming of orbital the whole time... I predict he will be making an attempt to go orbital by the end of 2006.

I'd give a leg to be on that flight

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[n2skdvn 0]

Quote

Ratun already said he's got the design for SS2 drafted and its designed to go orbital. Considering it took him 3 years to go from concept to suborbital, and he was dreaming of orbital the whole time... I predict he will be making an attempt to go orbital by the end of 2006.

Well considering he has done 6 rocket flights(3 of them being sub-orbital) he has a great chance of that.

if my calculations are correct SLINKY + ESCULATOR = EVERLASTING FUN
my site

[aero04 0]

Yep, he does have the design. I'm sure his plan was to go orbital the whole time. I'd do the same thing. However, taking an orbital spacecraft design from an AutoCad drawing to a prototype ready to launch - I'd be impressed to see it orbiting in 2 years.

I'm not arguing with ya, hell I'd love to see it in 2 years
Ha, I'd give a leg too for a shot at a flight.

[wmw999 2,131]

Quote

I'd give a leg to be on that flight

And I'd give your other leg to be on any of them . I'd love to go up there, and I really hope he can make it work -- there's nothing like competition to help an organization hone in on what's important to reach a defined and possible goal.

Wendy W.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[markd_nscr986 0]

I wouldnt mind making a jump out of it from less than 300,000 ft

Marc SCR 6046 SCS 3004

[freeflir29 0]

I got into Philly last night. Just about the time I hit the hotel room Black Sky was on. I was hungry since I hadn't eaten since 1 PM. I couldn't tear myself away from the TV to go to the bar. Yes......that show even kept me away from my nearly nightly ritual of enjoying a beer after work. I had a funny thought.....I'm not much on "famous" people. I see them all the time in my line of work. I usually don't get much farther than "Oh....that's who that is." Usually couldn't care less. However....I was struck last night with the thought that "Wow.....I would really like to meet Mr. Rutan." What a freakin awesome person he must be! I also loved the "spectacle" of all the "young" engineers that don't look too differen't than all the people you might see at a DZ making this stuff happen. A bit of a change from seeing all the "stuffed shirts" you usually see in these situations. Great job guys! Some of my favorite parts of the show........The stall test! You could hear the fear in the pilot's voice when he couldn't figure out how to make the thing recover. Reminded me of a skydive gone wrong. The video of the first orbit flight........all the crap that went wrong...the pilot once again sitting there wondering if he is going to make it home....and suddenly.....he remembers to throw the M&M's into weightlessness. Anyone notice how bad his hands were shaking. Like a skydive X50!!!! I'm REALLY jealous of those pilots. What a ride!!!!

[peacefuljeffrey 0]

Quote

they just touched down, altitude not yet confirmed, but it looks like they did it!

Way to go! That's something I'm proud of -- the American ingenuity and drive to get this kind of thing accomplished!

Congratulations to everyone involved in this incredible venture!

-Jeffrey

-Jeffrey
"With tha thoughts of a militant mind... Hard line, hard line after hard line!"