SpaceShipOne made it!

[sachmo]

Awesome news! SpaceShipOne made it into space!

http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/space/0...est/index.html

[Ragnarok-X]

very good news. Just another 15 years and MAYBE i could as well fly into space.

[Captain Kwok]

Cool. I didn't even know that it was going to be a manned flight, even cooler!

[David E. Gervais]

Now all he needs to do is get that bird up there again within 2 weeks and he can claim the $10,000,000 X-Prize. (does anyone know if a second flight is already scheduled?)

Very interesting, I hope he manages to get up there within the week, it would make the project all the more interesting. It would also prove that 'weekly' flights into space are now within the realm of possibility.

Cool stuff.

Cheers!

Edit: P.S. The ship also looks like a good design for a se4 shipset.

[ June 21, 2004, 16:51: Message edited by: David E. Gervais ]

[Gandalf Parker]

I thought the X prize also required that it be 3 people. And I was surprised to hear that there are 26? other civilian companys competing for it.

-- (sig line) I always knew the future was coming.
What worries me is that every day it seems to be picking up speed.

[ June 21, 2004, 16:56: Message edited by: Gandalf Parker ]

[gregebowman]

Well, I'm glad to hear it made it too. Now if more civilian companies could do this, maybe we all can make it into space someday without shelling out $20 million. I sure would love to go, if only to the outer edge of space around Earth. Who knows, maybe even before I'm 50? (I'm 41 now.)

[geoschmo]

Originally posted by David E. Gervais:
Now all he needs to do is get that bird up there again within 2 weeks and he can claim the $10,000,000 X-Prize. (does anyone know if a second flight is already scheduled?)

This wasn't an X-prize flight. This was just the latest in the series of test flights. It's important because this is the first to cross the 62 mile boundary. To win the X-prize they will need to have three people on board like Gandalph said.

[ June 21, 2004, 17:13: Message edited by: geoschmo ]

[Intimidator]

I think the way off launching is very promising, it certainly looks more futuristic than an old fashion rocket-propelled launch.

Just go up with an plane and use your rocket thrusters for the final push, not for the first 100 metre's which is consuming fuel very fast!!

And indeed very cool looking vehicle, Oh man I am certain that the pilot had a " Better than SEX experience "

Inti,

[Ragnarok]

[quote]Originally posted by Ragnarok:

Originally posted by geoschmo:
[qb]To win the X-prize they will need to have three people on board like Gandalph said.

Edit: Forget what I said. I was misreading the page.

[ June 21, 2004, 17:24: Message edited by: Ragnarok ]

[Ragnarok]

[quote]Originally posted by Ragnarok:

Originally posted by geoschmo:
[qb]To win the X-prize they will need to have three people on board like Gandalph said.

Edit: Forget what I said. I was misreading the page.

Edit 2: Stupid double post.

[ June 21, 2004, 17:24: Message edited by: Ragnarok ]