Space travel goes Private!

[Big Dog]

Plane Soars Out of Earth's Atmosphere

SpaceShipOne with pilot Michael W. Melvill aboard glides in for a landing after a trip to suborbital space at Mojave, Calif., airport Monday, June 21, 2004. SpaceShipOne is a privately developed rocket plane that will became the world's first commercial manned space vehicle and the first non-governmental flight to leave the Earth's atmosphere. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon)


June 21, 2004 05:07 PM EDT


MOJAVE, Calif. - An ungainly-looking rocket plane punched through the Earth's atmosphere and then glided home to a desert landing Monday in history's first privately financed manned spaceflight - a voyage that could hasten the day when the final frontier is opened up to paying customers.

Pilot Mike Melvill took SpaceShipOne 62.2 miles above Earth, just a little more than 400 feet above the distance considered to be the boundary of space. The flight lasted just 90 minutes.

The spaceship - with its fat fuselage and spindly white wings - was carried aloft under the belly of a carrier jet. The jet then released the spaceship, and its rocket engine ignited, sending it hurtling toward space at nearly three times the speed of sound. It left a vertical white vapor trail in the brilliant blue sky.

SpaceShipOne touched down in the Mojave Desert at 8:15 a.m. to cheers and applause.

Melvill, 63, said seeing the curvature of the Earth was "almost a religious experience."

"It was really an awesome sight," he said. "It was like nothing I'd ever seen before, and it blew me away."

The flight is an important step toward winning the Ansari X Prize, a $10 million award for the first privately financed three-seat spacecraft to reach an altitude of 62 miles and repeat the feat within two weeks.

The three-seat requirement demonstrates the capacity for paying customers; the quick turnaround between flights demonstrates reusability and reliability.

Promoters hope that Monday's milestone and others will lead to a future where tourists will pay perhaps $20,000 to $100,000 for the opportunity to soar above the Earth's atmosphere, float in zero gravity and take in the sights.

"The door to space is finally open to the rest of us," said George Whitesides, executive director of the National Space Society, which is wants to see space travel opened to people from all walks of life.

He said the team members "have proven that human spaceflight is no longer the realm of governments alone."

By contrast, Alan Shepard soared to an altitude of 115 miles in 1961 when he became the first American in space. That flight lasted less than 15 1/2 minutes.

The SpaceShipOne project was funded by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, who said the project cost more than $20 million. "I had my heart in my throat when I watched the launch," Allen said.

Although the flight appeared to go flawlessly, SpaceShipOne designer Burt Rutan revealed afterward there was a serious malfunction when the craft's trim system failed, causing it to miss its atmospheric re-entry point by 22 miles. There was also a large bang during the flight, but SpaceShipOne's team did not know what caused that.

Hitting the target is important because once the plane re-enters the atmosphere, it becomes a glider and cannot simply fly to its destination. But Melvill said he had enough leeway built into the flight that he was able to return to Mojave Airport.

Word of Melvill's feat quickly reached the international space station 225 miles above Earth, where astronaut Mike Fincke declared, "Fantastic."

During his brief trip, Melvill opened a bag of M&M's and watched the candies, uninhibited by gravity, float through the cockpit. "It was absolutely amazing, these M&M's were just going around. It was so cool," he said.

For good luck the veteran pilot had attached a tiny horseshoe to his flight suit. He said the jewelry was something he had made and presented to his girlfriend when she was 16. She became his wife a year later.

Rutan gained wide fame by designing the lightweight Voyager aircraft, which flew around the world nonstop without refueling in 1986.

[colt45]

yep watched that on the news before school today, won't be long now and we can take inter steller joy rides.

[DANA]

Go for it

SIERRA HOTEL

DANA

[ScottD]

I was at EAA, Oshkosh, several years ago when Rutan was there testing the rocket motor. He had it mounted in, I believe, a Vari-Eze. Anyway what was suppose to be a test run down the runway turned into a pass around the field.

It was funny to hear the announcer commentating on Rutan's test, building up the excitement as he got out on the runway and fired the rocket motor. Then when he went airborne it got really quiet, for you see it wasn't in the flight plan to go airborne. Exciting to say the least. History being made.

Dick and Burt Rutan a two very talented individuals. It's people like them that continue to raise the bar for all of us.

Now if I can get that job I can start biulding my own airplane.

http://www.murphyair.com/Product_Info/Super/SRinfo.htm

[Doglips]

The X prize is gona fall next (2 people in space..privet fundind..10million $$ prize)....10 yrs who knows ...spcae tourist?

[Oxford]

I'd love to be around during the next 100 years to see how far the technology bar has raised. It boggles the mind just looking backward a few years to see where we've been.

Man's capacity for using their brains is unbelievable. At the same time, the lack of using man's brains at times is disappointing.

Oxford, if I had a nickel for every time I have muttered the same words, I'd buy everyone here a stick of gum.

[Oxford]

Send mine to G&G @ Oxford. :nod:

[Rufus Rhastus J]

Really cool, huh? Too bad NASA is so wasteful, we could already be on Mars....

[PAPA G]

Originally Posted by Rufus Rhastus J

Really cool, huh? Too bad NASA is so wasteful, we could already be on Mars....

thats because NASA is a tax funded gummint entity, now that there monoply is on the verge of collapse, they may get better.



any volunteer passengers for the flight for the record???

[Big Dog]

NASA has been operating on almost a shoestring budget for years now, compared to what they had to play with during the Apollo days. The Shuttle accidents have caused Congress to really cut their funding. The last few Mars probes have shown that - very simple and small systems compared to what could have been.
The Shuttles are woefully old now - virtually decrepit. Built in the early eighties - twenty years ago! Almost as old as the newer B52's - still soldiering on.
We need something new and fresh, with up-to-date technology. We need a big mission program to get behind as a nation again. Mars is a good program, if we could get it going.
But, we need to cut a lot of porkfat from the national budget first . . .

[Oxford]

Big Dog...I'm in agreement with what you wrote. Sure, it costs a lot of money...but I'm thinking about the side benefits from programs such as that. Won't attempt to list them...because that was done on an earlier thread on this subject.

Those benefits we take for granted now with many everyday things we do and use. The way I see this...it's the process that is important, and the knowledge gained and put to use for other uses by society, which are of most importance to me...and I believe for mankind. :nod:

[Dennis]

Its all the same ol arguments
Kerry who wants so much to be like Kennedy yet has said that the money should be spent on health care and things like that.
We need to go to Mars and the other things not because they are easy but because they are hard................
If Bush is re elected we are on our way.

[Shaun]

He thinks being like Kennedy will get him elected