X-Prize Won!

[Lugnut]

They did it! Hats off to Burt and the crew, really is a historic flight.

Lugnut

 

[graylensman]

Yes! let's hope, though, that this doesn't discourage the other groups from making their attempts.

 

[jflis]

Very true. A bold mark would be for the SS1 team to offer to share the prize with all the others who make it. In the grand scheme of things, $10 mil isn't all that much compaired to the cost of this effort and its historic meaning.

Someone mentioned the incredible impact of having won after only ONE week between flights. They still have a week left. I wonder if they will send her up a 3rd time, all within that 2 week window, just because they can...

I also hope folks realize the real significance of this. This is right up there with Alan Shepards first flight!

And the added bonus of having beaten the X15 record for altitude

jim

 

[illini]

Some teams have already stated that they're pushing on regardless of the prize. The new X-Cup seems to be intended to encourage "losers" (not exactly the right word, but you know what I mean) to continue on.

This is *absolutely* of monumental importance...far greater importance than anything NASA has done since Apollo. Folks, this is the day we'll all remember as the day access to space became routine. The shuttle initially promised flights every 2 weeks with different orbiters. These guys just achieved < 1 week turnaround with a single craft. That is HUGE!!!

 

[JStarStar]

A great man once put it very well:

"Nobody wins until everybody wins."



When does everybody think we'll see the O-Prize ... the first privately constructed orbital flight?

I'd say 10 years.

 

[illini]

The Bigelow prize is a $50M prize for the first private orbital flight. Going on right now...

 

[Elapid]

to the team!

of course the other projects will proceed, the funding is all in place and there's room in the coming space tourism marketplace for competition!


what a great flight...
no victory roll, though?


heheheh...

 

[Lugnut]

Nice to see they did it on the anniversary of Sputnik.

BTW, anyone know if the Black Skies show on Discovery on Thursday going to be a reprisal of yesterday's show, or is it going to incorporate today's flight?

PS, today is as important a milestone as the Wright Brothers, Yeager, Lunar landing ,etc, yet no one in my office knew it was going on, and I bet $100, that none of my kids teachers will have clued them into it today either. Really kind of sad, and shows how much things have changed since the Apollo programs.

Lugnut

 

[illini]

Originally posted by Lugnut
PS, today is as important a milestone as the Wright Brothers, Yeager, Lunar landing ,etc, yet no one in my office knew it was going on, and I bet $100, that none of my kids teachers will have clued them into it today either. Really kind of sad, and shows how much things have changed since the Apollo programs.

Yeah, that really is discouraging. I guess the press is too busy manufacturing news to report the real thing when it happens.

 

[rstaff3]

This was a wonderful accomplishment! Wahoooo!

The Black Skies show only had a text blurb at the end saying they completed phase one. It is possible they would update that part, but I doubt if there will be anything more...for now.

Having Rutan's shop get involved with Virgin is huge to IMO. Scaled build unique things but doesn't probably know how to run an airline. Perfect team.

I was away from TV and computer this morning. Did they have the same roll as last time?

 

[illini]

No roll. Straight shot to 368,000 feet.

 

[rstaff3]

Sweeeet!

 

[Mike]

I'm really hoping to see some of the other teams make attempts at this. After all we can't have SS1 with a monopoly on space tourism!

 

[illini]

I want to see competition too. Need to get that ticket price well below the $200k Virgin Galactic is planning to charge before I can afford to take the trip... Say...howsabout for FlisKits birthday bash next year they give away a free ticket to Virgin Galactic's inaugural flight!!!

 

[rstaff3]

IIRC it is not a trivial ordeal to get approval to fly to space in the US. I wonder if it is easier in the UK. Or is that not an issue?

 

[Rocketmaniac]

What a great day!!!! Congrats to the SpaceShipOne team!!!!

I was at school during the flight, but I stopped at the library inbetween classes to check the web for updates. No one that I talked to knew anything about SpaceShipOne!!!!!! Very sad!!!!

 

[Mike]

Originally posted by rstaff3
I wonder if it is easier in the UK.

We don't really have anywhere suitable to launch from in the UK, the high altitude UK rocketeers travel to the States to fly some of their stuff.

 

[rstaff3]

I'm talking professional level, not amateur. Where does the UK X-Prize team fly from?

 

[aksarben10]

Originally posted by Lugnut

PS, today is as important a milestone as the Wright Brothers, Yeager, Lunar landing ,etc, yet no one in my office knew it was going on, and I bet $100, that none of my kids teachers will have clued them into it today either. Really kind of sad, and shows how much things have changed since the Apollo programs.

Lugnut

Yeah, I hear what you are saying. I think the only people in my office who know are the ones I have talked to about it. However, I think that out of the examples above only the Moon Landings were well know at the time. Course the communications tech at the time was low and they were conducted in secret. I am hoping that time will really show the benefits later and be celebrated like we celebrate the Wright Brothers today.

I see this whole program as an off shoot of the Moon Landings. Here is my thinking on it, the lunar landings created a burst of new technologies and space enthusiasts. Some of those enthusiasts that were created were people like Burt Rutan and Paul Allen. Part of the technology that came out of the space race was the chips and technology to create the PC.

So, in my round about thinking this whole big leap has been years in the making waiting for all the pieces to fall into place. Burt to get to a position where he had the technology to make it happen with designs, materials and knowledge (reputation) and Paul Allen to get the money and desire to move forward where the governments left off. Aint it great!!!!

By the way I did catch the Black Sky program last night and it was wonderful. I will be buying a copy of this program.

Scott

 

[Neil]

Only one person (well, two if you count the teacher) in school had even HEARD of the X prize.

THIS is why I dont go to public schools full-time, folks! They dont teach you nothin' important!

 

[illini]

Folks, better start drinking a lot of 7-Up. Seems they've got a contest starting to give away a free trip into space...presumably aboard Virgin Galactic!

 

[wwattles]

My wife still gets X-Prize and X-Games mixed up!

Must be a woman thing...

WW

 

[Rick James]

So... does Rutan have his Level 3 certification? ... I assume through Tripoli since he didn't use a commercially available motor...

 

[North Star]

Originally posted by rstaff3
I'm talking professional level, not amateur. Where does the UK X-Prize team fly from?

I seem to remember that they were going to launch from somewhere other than the UK. They had done parachute tesing with the nosecone in the US (dropped from the rear of a C123). Other than missiles, no military or commercial 'space' rocket is launched from these islands due to the lack of square miles of nothing. The few space shots we have achieved were launched from Woomera in Australia.

 

[Rocketmaniac]

Originally posted by Rick James
So... does Rutan have his Level 3 certification? ... I assume through Tripoli since he didn't use a commercially available motor...

LOL, good thing that the motor is a hybrid or Mr. Rutan would have to deal with the ATF and get a LEUP!!!!!

 

[North Star]

Originally posted by Rocketmaniac
LOL, good thing that the motor is a hybrid or Mr. Rutan would have to deal with the ATF and get a LEUP!!!!!

And , of course, he broke the NAR code by launching a biological payload

 

[Mike]

Originally posted by rstaff3
I'm talking professional level, not amateur. Where does the UK X-Prize team fly from?

Oh yeh, and I'm saying *even* amateur rocketeers have to travel to fly their high-altitude stuff. I havn't checked but I'm pretty sure there is nowhere to conduct a space launch from...or if its even allowed.

Hokky's good with this kinda stuff!

 

[Larry]

Originally posted by jflis

Someone mentioned the incredible impact of having won after only ONE week between flights. They still have a week left. I wonder if they will send her up a 3rd time, all within that 2 week window, just because they can...

I also hope folks realize the real significance of this. This is right up there with Alan Shepards first flight!

And the added bonus of having beaten the X15 record for altitude

jim [/B]

I kind of hope they fly it one more time. I don't think it would be a problem. The media doesn't seem to think this is a big deal, and that is sad. My son said there was no mention of it in school either

I think this flight was as significant as the early mercury flights. I think those astronauts would be envyious of those two PILOTS that had the chance to PILOT SpaceShipOne. After all they flew this craft into space, and were not just along for the ride like the first astronauts were.
I hope all the other teams will continue to develope their ideas and attempt to get into space. The more that try the better for all of us............Larry

 

[AlexM]

Google recognizes the achievement. They change their logo for special occasions. Just go to google.com

 

[illini]

Originally posted by AlexM
Google recognizes the achievement. They change their logo for special occasions. Just go to google.com

I *knew* there was a reason I liked Google!