Spaceship One Succeeds!!!

[ZWarrior]

I thought I posted a link to this project, but apparently not.

SpaceShip One is the first civilian space project to SUCCESSFULLY put a vehicle in space and return to earth.  

They successfully entered space with a sub-orbital flight this morning.  Now all they have to do is return again in the next few days, and they win the prize for doing so.  ( Sorry, I don't have a link for that right now. )

Ladies and Gentleman... The US has put the first PRIVATELY funded CIVILIAN astronaut in orbit!!!

WOOOOOT!!!  


:hotbouns::hotbouns::bounce::hotbouns:

[Wolverine of Ambush!]

The ANSARI X PRIZE is a $10,000,000 prize to jumpstart the space tourism industry through competition between the most talented entrepreneurs and rocket experts in the world. The $10 Million cash prize will be awarded to the first team that:

Privately finances, builds & launches a spaceship, able to carry three people to 100 kilometers (62.5 miles)
Returns safely to Earth
Repeats the launch with the same ship within 2 weeks


http://www.xprize.org/

[JollyRoger]

And to think all Space Ship One use is Old Tires and NO2 as fuel which makes it more efficiant than Jet feul and cheaper too.

[ZWarrior]

"Kick the tires, and light the fires...  We're going to SPACE!"

I read about this project a while back, and thought that I had posted a link, apparently not.
 Don't know if you caught who the major players are behind this, but it was Burt Rutan, of Voyager fame, and Paul Allen, one of the co-founders of M$.  Yes, the borg have an in!

[snauzberries]

it was in the paper today.......i wanna ride

[opiesilver]

It's only cost them $20mil so far to get the first flight up.  Too bad a few things broke on the way.  They probably wont re-attempt a next flight until they work out some bugs.  When you traveling 3000 miles per hours little problem become real bad in a hurry.

[ZWarrior]

That is true, this was only a proof of concept flight.  They now have to solve the issues that came up, but once they do, then they can put the 3 man crew up and win the prize.  When you consider that a single flight of the NASA shuttles can cost WAY more, this is cheap!

Just think, your kids may grow up and not remember a time that flights to space were cheap.

[opiesilver]

NASA is a bargin at $100K per pound..........

[Zeet]

Did you guys see one of the other teams in the race has John Carmack as the team leader? They are team Armadillo Aerospace.

Quake is dead; So I'll make a Spaceship!!!