Rutan hits 200k feet! Almost there!

In article ,
"Keith Willshaw" wrote:

The problem is that merely reaching the altitude is only a
part of the problem. The real issue is achieving orbital velocity

No, it's not.

http://www.xprize.org/teams/guidelines.html

"3. The flight vehicle must be flown twice within a 14-day period. Each
flight must carry at least one person, to minimum altitude of 100 km
(62 miles). The flight vehicle must be built with the capacity (weight
and volume) to carry a minimum of 3 adults of height 188 cm (6 feet 2
inches) and weight 90 kg (198 pounds) each. Three people of this size
or larger must be able to enter, occupy, and be fastened into the
flight vehicle on Earth's surface prior to take-off, and equivalent
ballast must be carried in-flight if the number of persons on-board
during flight is less than 3 persons."

--
cirby at cfl.rr.com

Remember: Objects in rearview mirror may be hallucinations.
Slam on brakes accordingly.

It becomes available.

For what?


For whatever your imagination can think of. Since you can't think of anything,
we'll leave it to others.


What is the significance of spam cans costing seventeen
thousand dollars an hour?

What spam can costs seventeen thousand dollars an hour?


None. This is significant. What if they did, and other aircraft were so
similarly expensive?

Jose




--
(for Email, make the obvious changes in my address)

So something that has no practical purpose today can be done cheaper than it
was when done by the government four decades ago...


And that opens the door for people to figure out a practical purpose, after
which we won't be able to live without it.

Jose



--
(for Email, make the obvious changes in my address)

"Teacherjh" wrote in message
...

For whatever your imagination can think of. Since you can't think
of anything, we'll leave it to others.


Obviously, you can't think of anything either. I knew you were just blowing
smoke.



None. This is significant. What if they did, and other aircraft were so
similarly expensive?


Then things would be different than they are.

The point is the same point that Edmund Hillary and his small civilian band had
when they climbed Everest. Sure, Patton's Third Army could have done it by
sheer muscle power and expensive engineering, but Hillary did it with finesse.

The point is the same point that swimming across the English Channel had. Boats
had been doing it for centuries. Swimmers did it on sheer guts and willpower.

The point is the same point that every glider pilot who has gone diamond
distance or altitude has. Thousands have gone before them, but they have to do
it by themselves. And that IS a big deal to the person doing it. You don't
have to think so, nor would I force you to. You are entitled to your opinion
and I to mine.

So far as I am concerned Rutan's brave little band has balls of brass for trying
it.

You do it...

because...

it is there.


Jim



"Steven P. McNicoll"
shared these priceless pearls of wisdom:

-
-
-Just what is the point of the whole X-Prize competition anyway?

Jim Weir (A&P/IA, CFI, & other good alphabet soup)
VP Eng RST Pres. Cyberchapter EAA Tech. Counselor
http://www.rst-engr.com

"Jim Weir" wrote in message
...

The point is the same point that Edmund Hillary and his small
civilian band had when they climbed Everest.


Not the same. Nobody had climbed Everest and returned before Hillary and
Norgay. The X-Prize competition is a race to be the "first" to do something
that's been done before.

Obviously, you can't think of anything either. I knew you were just blowing
smoke.


No, I can't see the future. My own imagination is less than what it might be.
However, I =do= recognize that there are significant things that I can't think
of that may well come from this, because civilian suborbital flight is a
significant milestone.

That I can't think of something doesn't mean it's not there.


What if [spam cans cost beacoup dollars per hour to fly], and other aircraft
were so
similarly expensive?

Then things would be different than they are.


Indeed. Significantly different. Earthshakingly different.

I posit that things will be earthsakingly different if suborbital flight is
inexpensive too. I don't know in what manner, but that is ok. I'm still sure
that, as you echoed above, " things would be different than they are".

Jose

--
(for Email, make the obvious changes in my address)

"Teacherjh" wrote in message
...

However, I =do= recognize that there are significant things that I
can't think of that may well come from this, because civilian
suborbital flight is a significant milestone.


Why is civilian suborbital flight a significant milestone?

In article . net,
"Steven P. McNicoll" wrote:

"Jim Weir" wrote in message
...

The point is the same point that Edmund Hillary and his small
civilian band had when they climbed Everest.

Not the same. Nobody had climbed Everest and returned before Hillary
and Norgay. The X-Prize competition is a race to be the "first" to
do something that's been done before.

A suborbital flight, and repeat it with the same vehicle in a 14 day
period?

Funny, I can't remember hearing of such a thing.

I think you don't understand the actual rules or intent of the Ansari
X-Prize.

--
cirby at cfl.rr.com

Remember: Objects in rearview mirror may be hallucinations.
Slam on brakes accordingly.

"gatt" wrote in message


A friend of mine also pointed out that SpaceShipOne's inaugural test
flight was December 17, 2003 which would not be a coincidence.

I think the 12/17/2003 run was the first powered flight, but not the first
test flight of the spacecraft.

--
John T
http://tknowlogy.com/TknoFlyer
http://www.pocketgear.com/products_s...veloperid=4415
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