SpaceShipOne reaches outer space!

[ErikRuud]

http://spaceflightnow.com/ss1/status.html

[Snarbald]

Neat, spaceshipone got into orbit on my dad's 55th birthday.

[maraxle]

Neat, spaceshipone got into orbit on my dad's 55th birthday.

Did your dad see me waving, or catch the cake I threw to him? - Mike Melvill

[NoBonus]

My dad actually drove a 1000 miles one way (then a 1000 miles back home) to watch the launch in person.  Very cool ship.  Now, they just need to win the X contest!

[Stingray]

Doesn't the X contest say that the ship has to take off under it's own power (SS1 took off on the back of a plane). Also I'm pretty sure that the x prize also specifies that it has to carry three passengers and repeat the voyage in a week.

Regardless this is a major first step in the field of private space travel. I'm very much in awe.

-S

[dirt]

Doesn't the X contest say that the ship has to take off under it's own power (SS1 took off on the back of a plane). Also I'm pretty sure that the x prize also specifies that it has to carry three passengers and repeat the voyage in a week.

Regardless this is a major first step in the field of private space travel. I'm very much in awe.

-S

i am not sure about taking off under its own power but i do know it specifies either three passengers or the extra weight equal to three passengers and he has 14 days to do it again. i keep hearing that if he does it agian he will win the prize so i am guessing that the ship doesn't need to take off under its own power.but as alway i could be wrong.

dirt

[Stingray]

as alway i could be wrong.

As could I. I was only going from memory on the rules. I certainly do hope they win the prize, being the first private ship in space they deserve it.

-S

[ErikRuud]

Yes, the X prize specifies that they must reach space (62.5 miles) with three passengers, and then repeat it within a week using the same spacecraft. This flight by SpaceShipOne was the 15th flight, and the first one that was intended to actually go into space. It was not an attempt at the actual X-Prize.

How they get to space is not really specified.

If you look at all the teams proposals, you will see just about every possible launch configuration.

SpaceShipOne uses a turbo jet aircraft to get the space ship off the ground and into the upper atmosphere. SpaceShipOne then flies the rest of the way on its own.

There is one team that is planning to use a balloon to get the craft into the upper atmosphere.

Most of the other teams are using various booster rockets for the initial lift phase.

There is only one proposal that I am aware of that has a completely self contained system.  It will take off like a plane and fly to the upper atmosphere using jet engines.  Then it will fire rocket engines to boost into space.  On the return flight, the jet engines will again be used for a powered landing like a convential plane.  I beleiev they are actually converting a business jet for this.

[NoBonus]

A plane that can fly into space is a grand idea!  However, I love the White Knight and SpaceShip One.  That was designed by the same guy who built the plane that flew non-stop around the world.  He also designed or is designing a plane that can stay aloft at 2 mph... 2 MPH!!!  You can run faster than that.  I heard a radio interview with him and he said this was the sort of thing we should have been doing 20 years ago... I guess when you consider the SR-71 came out in the 50's or 60's it makes sense.  

[GGKoul]

The recent SpaceShipOne flight was a Test flight with only 1 person.  The next flight will be Live and they have 14 days to repeat the flight.

-GGKoul

[danny_galaga]

its exciting stuff! ive been watching spaceship ones progress for a couple of years now, ever since i started building homemade model rockets. its really great that the pilot is 63! and while 6200 hours flying time is quite a lot, its not massive. gives hope to all us geriatrics (",)

and yes, as others have said, you need to have three occupants in the flight and the craft must be reusable to win the x-prize. and that the flight has to be repeated within 14 days of the first. this flight wasn't that attempt.

whats even more impressive is the low tech rocket they use. i believe the type was first developed by amateur rocketeers. its called a hybrid. has solid fuel (in this case acrylic. but rubber, ashpalt and even wood or cardboard will work!). liquid oxidiser. in this case, and most others they use nitrous oxide. very, very safe. i can go and buy this stuff over the counter and not be flagged as a terrorist!! but buy a sack of pottassium nitrate...
lucky my dads a farmer (",)

[ErikRuud]

I went to the Ansari X-Prize site and read the rules.

The ship must be able to carry three people, but It does not have to actually carry three people during the qualifying flights. They only have to have one person on board.  It must carry extra balast if they don't have three people in the craft during the flights.

The two flights must be within 14 days and they can only replace 10% of the non-propellant mass of the craft.  That means that the teams using boosters, multiple stages, or balloon launches must recover almost all the pieces for the next launch.

By the way, the point of the upper atmosphere launches, wether from ballon or aircraft is to get the rocket into the thinner air where there is less drag on the rocket.  This lets them carry less fuel on the rocket and saves on weight.

[danny_galaga]

a lot less fuel! Not just because of less drag, but also because they are part the way there at about 50000ft and also theres a less drastic change in inertia since the craft  has some airspeed already

[mp2526]

And it

[ErikRuud]

They were probably trying to say that SpaceShipOne was the first totally civilian supersonic aircraft.

The Concorde was developed with a lot of funding and support from the French and British governments.

[mp2526]

I guess it depends on your definition of civilian, having been in the military I consider anything not built by the military (and possibly law enforcment) to be civilian.

[danny_galaga]

good point. it was a while ago that i read that so i may have used the wrong term. i guess 'non-government' would be a better term