SpaceShipOne's Successful 2nd Free Flight Raises Hopes for December 17 Spaceflight

Spacefuture ^ | 9/11/03 | Spacefuture

[Brett66]

Ping.

[Sloth]

[baltodog]

This is just incredible.
Although the cost of composites is initially expensive, it's continued use brings costs down.
Looking at this spacecraft, the new Eclipse business jet, and other new projects world-wide, I beleive that the aviation industry is going to see an emergence of new leaders.
This is just like the dawn of the new age that the Wright Brothers started.

[dts32041]

Mr. Harriman your craft is about ready.

[19th LA Inf]

The distant ancestor of the Space Shuttle was a "lifting body" built of plywood in the 1960s and towed over the California dry lakes behind a C-47, then released to glide to a landing. The flight model was built by Gus Briegleb, a glider pilot and designer of homebuilt sailplanes. Neil Armstrong and a couple of others checked out at Briegleb's gliderport to get the basics of flying on tow.

Later, a rocket powered version built to "aerospace standards" crashed and inspired the "6 Million Dollar Man" TV series. But Briegleb's prototype probably cost the taxpayers well under $100,000.

[xrp]

Bahahhaahah, that's nothing...that's JUNK!

Here's what I just completed building in orbit:

[Sloth]

Does that come with floormats & rear A/C?

[Pontiac]

The cost per flight is said to be going to be about $80,000 - or about 1/1,000 of the cost of Alan Shepard's sub-orbital flight in 1961.

Trouble is, OECD space agencies have spent $1 trillion of taxpayers' money since then - but without reducing the cost of getting to space by a single centime. But what could be more important than making space accessible to the taxpayers who pay for all their work?

The lesson to be learned here is; No mater what government does, so long as they are the sole providers of that service or product, they have no incentive to reduce the cost. And will not.

They will increase expenses (or graft) in order to consume all available funds

In truth government is and always has been the only true monopoly.

[xrp]

It's a luxury wessel (to quote Chekov).

[greasepaint]

A glider. So what?

[Hoverbug]

Magnificent!!

I am prepared to enter into a business partnership with you. Unfortunately, the finance minister of my country has claimed all the country's currency.

Due to skillfull management on my part, I was able to send the sum of a $gazillion U.S. to an account in Nazerbyutlan Bank of Trust an Security, Inc.

If you could help me to retrieve my money by sending me your full name, social security number, DOB, and a bank account number where I could transfer the assets at my disposal, I am confident that a very lasting and benificial partnership will ensue.

Thanks again for your help!

Your brother in business,

Hb

[MediaMole]

The science fiction "future" is now.

[jimkress]

Way Cool! Thanks for the ping.

[Hunble]

This is an example of what can be achieved without NASA!

[El Gato]

Now that looks like a re-useable spacecraft, and not a brick with stub wings. It's a smaller version of what the Shuttle should have been.

[El Gato]

A glider. So what?

So is the space shuttle on the way down. Just as the Shuttle did approach and landing tests, this beastie is doing it's own now. The difference is that with this one, the booster flies back too. Of course that was originally a feature of the shuttle as well, until the Nixon era bean counters got ahold of it. THey "saved" money during design, so we could pay lots and lots more over the long run.

[El Gato]

A glider. So what?

Gliders don't have rocket nozzles sticking out of their rear end, this one does. As I understand it, it's only used during the ascent phase, just as the Shuttle's main engines are only used then, and the OMS engines are only used on orbit, not during re-entry, except to initiate of course. This bird is only a "technology demonstrater", and is sub-orbital only, like the Alan Sheppard/Gus Grissom Mercury-Redstone stack.

[LPM1888]

Thanks for the memo! I'll start running the Real Estate For Sale advertisements in a couple of months.

[dts32041]

Be sure to notify me I wish to buy a couple of meters.

But Mike will eventually have to run the place.