Posted on 11/13/2006 6:55:28 PM PST by KevinDavis
The hush-hush space effort funded by Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos, Blue Origin, executed a test launch from its West Texas spaceport today, air traffic controllers confirmed. Based on the Federal Aviation Administration documents governing the test, it was a relatively low-altitude blastoff - but it comes at the beginning of a launch schedule that could lead to tourist rides to the edge of outer space by 2010.
Blue Origin's launch window extended from Friday until today, and controllers in Albuquerque, N.M., told me that a launch indeed occurred this morning. However, for further comment they referred me to the venture's office in Kent, near Seattle. There was no response to voicemails left at the Kent office. Blue Origin's Houston-based spokesman, Bruce Hicks, declined comment but said a statement may be available at a later time.
(Excerpt) Read more at cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com ...
I love the thought of commercial space flight. Maybe low orbit inter-continental for speed.
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