Burt Rutan: Building The People's Spaceship

space.com ^ | 11/28/05 | Leonard David

[KevinDavis]

DENVER, Colo. -- Stand by for dramatic and radical change in the emerging passenger space travel industry—but don’t count on NASA or major aerospace service providers to propel the public into space anytime soon.

Since the early 1970s, NASA seems to mean No Adult Supervision Apparent. The unaffordable space shuttle, for example, is a failure in trying to reduce cost for accessing Earth orbit. Moreover, companies out to build the space agency’s replacement for the shuttle — the Crew Exploration Vehicle — are doing so under an arrangement that cripples innovation, creativity, and the chance for breakthroughs.

Thus says Burt Rutan, the private airplane and spacecraft designer, who is anything but shy when it comes to telling the world where he thinks the United States – and NASA in particular, has gone wrong since the heyday of human spaceflight.

[KevinDavis]

[SunkenCiv]

I don't want to be a passenger on this thing.

I want to work there. :')

Might be a good idea to take some flying lessons, eh? ;')

[KevinDavis]

I do.. I think it is right time now... The next big thing...

[flashbunny]

"Did someone mention the people's mothership???"

[DoughtyOne]

Nice article Kevin. Thanks for the thread.

[Drammach]

Yeah..
Burt Rutan is the future..

[KevinDavis]

Sure thing...

[Rudder]

Oh yeah, a VolksRocket.

[KevinDavis]

People like Burt is the future.. People like Burt, the Wright brothers, and Edison made this country the great.. Lets be honest.. Can people like Burt can do this say in the EU?

[flying Elvis]

I thought this was going to be about the Chinese space program or a new book by Howard Zinn.

[ErnBatavia]

You rang?

[Dan Evans]

NASA is not what it used to be. If this bureaucracy had been responsible for developing the airplane, they would just now be getting around to building the Ford Tri-Motor.

[Mamzelle]

A whole forty miles. I just can't wait.

[Travis McGee]

Rutan Ping

[rom]

You are absolutely correct! Let us hope that this country doesn't lose its edge in ingenuity, innovation and the spirit of humanity that has driven us forward. Out of every generation, as lost as it may seem we seem to always produce (or import) a few jewels.

[HisKingdomWillAbolishSinDeath]

One man can and often does make all the difference. Just ask Jesus.

[isthisnickcool]

Burt Rutan is a damn genius.

[Boiler Plate]

Burt Rutan is a damn genius.

That will go down as the greatest understatement of the 21st century.

[orionblamblam]

Yup. He could tell you all about Judas, without whom it would all have been for naught.