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nirgal

Banned

Registered: 2002-05-14

Posts: 157

Re: Looks like the X-Prize has been won!!! - I knew Rutan had something the works

Burt Rutan today unvieled "History's First Private Manned Space Program"

Links:

Burt Rutan rolls out "History's First Private Manned Space Program"

US pioneer plans to offer spaceflights

Scaled Composites

Yeehhaaaa!!!

Phobos

Member

Registered: 2002-01-02

Posts: 1,103

Re: Looks like the X-Prize has been won!!! - I knew Rutan had something the works

Great news.  That's an unusual and sleek looking ship.  I wonder if it's capable of flying three people or if the current version can only take one person to suborbital height.  Judging from the pictures, it looks like both stages have human pilots.

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To achieve the impossible you must attempt the absurd

nirgal

Banned

Registered: 2002-05-14

Posts: 157

Re: Looks like the X-Prize has been won!!! - I knew Rutan had something the works

The "SpaceShipOne" can carry three people.

You can get the details at www.scaled.com

Ad Astra

Member

Registered: 2003-02-02

Posts: 584

Re: Looks like the X-Prize has been won!!! - I knew Rutan had something the works

This is truly exciting news.  Can't say for certain that Burt will be the first to actually make it into space, though.  Armadillo, Canadian Arrow, Star Chaser, and Da Vinci are all getting closer to making a flight attempt.  It's great to have so many compaines striving to create routine space access.  Utimately, everybody will benefit from the X-Prize.

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Who needs Michael Griffin when you can have Peter Griffin?  Catch "Family Guy" Sunday nights on FOX.

flashgordon

Member

Registered: 2003-01-21

Posts: 314

Re: Looks like the X-Prize has been won!!! - I knew Rutan had something the works

does anybody know all the X-prize entrants?

I've heard of this prize before, but I didn't take it seriously . . . ouch!LoL  I'm smiling like a cheshire cat!  I'm trully blown away; can you imagine when the solar sail guy's get going?

Wha't going to happen when the x-prize awards whoever is first?  What will happen to the rest of these capable groups?  Hopefully, more prizes are set!

It will be great when these guy's get with the australian scramjet thing too!

This is unbelievable!  This isn't just any old rocket; this is supposed to be reusable rockets!  I didn't think reusable rockets were going to be around for another fifteen years, and by then we are looking to have space elevators . . . hah, the future is coming blindingling fast!  Whoa!

I think I need to try to become an astronaut!

flashgordon

Member

Registered: 2003-01-21

Posts: 314

Re: Looks like the X-Prize has been won!!! - I knew Rutan had something the works

. . . and can you imagine if these groups start using all the latest nanotech materials soon?

flashgordon

Member

Registered: 2003-01-21

Posts: 314

Re: Looks like the X-Prize has been won!!! - I knew Rutan had something the works

never mind, just go to the X-prize website ha?!

soph

Member

Registered: 2002-11-24

Posts: 1,492

Re: Looks like the X-Prize has been won!!! - I knew Rutan had something the works

I imagine that most of the companies had to plan as if they were not going to win the X-Prize to attract investment (they want definite security), so I would not be surprised to see the serious companies (Bristol, Canadian Arrow, Pioneer, etc.) continue.  I would hope they do-we need a diverse, varied space access base.

Carbon nanotubes will be excellent.  As will advances in fusion (10-30 years), solar sails, and plasma sail technology.  I think the ultimate goal should be space elevators, honestly.

However as I've said before, spaceplanes and elevators will serve entirely different markets.  Spaceplanes can ferry people and cargo quickly, elevators will ferry it in bulk more cheaply.

Exciting times-it makes it so hard to choose what I want to go to college for.

Ad Astra

Member

Registered: 2003-02-02

Posts: 584

Re: Looks like the X-Prize has been won!!! - I knew Rutan had something the works

Of all the competitors, Burt Rutan probably has the best business plan.  According to Space.com, it will only cost the operator $50,000 to fly each passenger on a fully-booked flight of SpaceShipOne.  When companies are planning on selling tickets for twice that amount, the operators are certain to profit.  Further, the White Knight and SpaceShipOne promise to offer faster turnarounds and reuse more of the airframe than the other competitors.  Today's developments amount to a revolution in the field of private space travel.

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Who needs Michael Griffin when you can have Peter Griffin?  Catch "Family Guy" Sunday nights on FOX.

Josh Cryer

Moderator

Registered: 2001-09-29

Posts: 3,830

Re: Looks like the X-Prize has been won!!! - I knew Rutan had something the works

It looks nice, but I'm skeptical.

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Some useful links while MER are active. [url=http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/home/index.html]Offical site[/url] [url=http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/MM_NTV_Web.html]NASA TV[/url] [url=http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/mer2004/]JPL MER2004[/url] [url=http://www.spaceflightnow.com/mars/mera/statustextonly.html]Text feed[/url]
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sethmckiness

Banned

From: Iowa

Registered: 2002-09-20

Posts: 230

Re: Looks like the X-Prize has been won!!! - I knew Rutan had something the works

I do like the way it was designed, and judging some(not all) of the companies previous ventures, I do have faith in it.  I just hope that after the X-prize momentum does not wane.  I think it would be vital for someone to come forward and give a similiar or slightly higher price for maybe flying 6 people or going to a higher altitude.  just my two cents.

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We are only limited by our Will and our Imagination.