Next SpaceShipOne Flights Will Be for Ansari X Prize

AIRVENTURE (EAA) ^ | July 8, 2004

[Veloxherc]

July 8, 2004 - After announcing this week that the control problems associated with June's historic space flight were solved, Burt Rutan said that the next flights of SpaceShipOne would be official attempts to garner the $10 million Ansari X Prize. Rutan told Wired Online Tuesday (July 6) that his team plans to do three flights in two weeks, although he gave no indication as to when the flights would take place. That's one more flight than required, just in case SpaceShipOne falls short on the first or second attempts. Rutan will give EAA AirVenture attendees the latest information about the private manned space program developed by his company Scaled Composites when he presents "Fun at Mojave" on Thursday evening, July 29, during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2004. He'll also present several forums the following two days in the Honda Motorcycles Pavilion (#7).

Rutan told Wired that the "flight-control anomaly" experienced on the June 21 was traced to an actuator that delayed moving one of the ship's flaps because it "had run against a stop," limiting its movement. The anomaly threw the craft 20 miles off course and forced pilot Mike Melvill to use a backup system to control the spacecraft. In addition, Rutan said that it was wind shear that caused SpaceShipOne to unexpectedly roll 90 degrees to the left upon rocket ignition.

Rutan told Wired that passengers won't fly on SpaceShipOne, at least at first. "The only time we could do that is the second X Prize flight, because the earlier flight is an envelope-expansion flight," during which SpaceShipOne will fly with a heavier payload and employ a longer rocket burn than on earlier missions. To win the $10 million, a private spacecraft must make two successful flights to 100 kilometers (62.5 miles) altitude carrying two passengers, or the weight equivalent, within the space of two weeks.

"Whether we fly passengers on the second flight we'll decide later, but there's no way we'll do that on the first flight," Rutan said.

The Ansari X Prize requires 60 days advance notice to the X Prize Foundation before an official attempt. No notice has yet been submitted, but Melville told MSNBC's Deborah Norville during an appearance this week that the team plans to got for the Ansari X Prize "near the end of September."

Along with Thursday's evening program, Rutan has several AirVenture Oshkosh forums scheduled Friday and Saturday, which include:

Friday, July 30: 8:30 a.m. - Life After Airliners, with Dr. Bruce Holmes 11:30 a.m. - Private Manned Space Program, SpaceShipOne 2:30 p.m. The Rutan Brothers Chat, with Dick and Burt Rutan

Saturday, July 31: 10 a.m. Private Manned Space Program, SpaceShipOne 2:30 p.m. A "Tent-Talk Show" with John Roncz, noted aerodynamicist

[Veloxherc]

Can't wait!!!

[TomServo]

Sping!!!

[KevinDavis]

Space Ping! This is the Space Ping List! Let me know if you want on or off this list by freep mail!

[GeronL]

Its great until government gets the idea to 'fund' private space ventures. Then its gonna die when the regulations kick in.

[Veloxherc]

"Its great until government gets the idea to 'fund' private space ventures. Then its gonna die when the regulations kick in."

You had to destroy all my enthusiasm didn't you? I was all excited until you brought me back to reality. The Gov. can not have just anyone flying around who knows where, that might smack of freedom.

[RightWhale]

The Gov't has recently admitted that lack of private property rights is and will be a severe impediment to space development. They see the problem. Now we need to see Behemoth make some correct moves.

[GeronL]

what they fund they regulate and what they regulate they strangulate. NASA was already talking about possibly funding some 'private' ventures the day after the last test flight

[SunkenCiv]

The Gov't has recently admitted that lack of private property rights is and will be a severe impediment to space development. They see the problem. Now we need to see Behemoth make some correct moves.

John Lewis, writing in the title shown, suggests that the way to avoid our own extinction would be to identify threatening space rocks, then mine them out of existence. A run of the mill asteroid often has more mineral wealth than has ever been mined. Trick will be to make it cheap to bring down. Getting the equipment (probably robotic) to the asteroid needs to be cheap; and ideally, a more or less permanent asteroid station at which the automatic machinery will be designed, tested, and manufactured, makes the most sense.

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Rain of Iron and Ice: The Very Real Threat of Comet and Asteroid Bombardment by John S. Lewis Hardcover

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[RightWhale]

While there has been a fair amount of material written about asteroid mining, next to none have looked at the economics. A business needs a way to make a buck. Asteroid mining can be done economically and profitably--not a statement of faith but of analysis--however, private property rights are the prequisite.

[SunkenCiv]

By the time we're ready (that is, the US; and we will be first) all the current treaties will have been repudiated anyway. :')

[RightWhale]

We have been ready for 25 years. What is the holdup? One thing and one thing only--lack of private property rights.