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More => Old Versions => Media Center 11 (Development Ended) => Topic started by: JimH on June 19, 2004, 09:22:39 pm

Title: OT: Space
Post by: JimH on June 19, 2004, 09:22:39 pm

This is a pretty amazing thing scheduled for this week.

"SpaceShipOne, designed by Burt Rutan of Scaled Composites, will be carried by a turbojet called White Knight to an altitude of about 50,000 feet (15,240 meters).

"If all goes according to plan, it will ignite its rocket engines that propel the craft to Mach 3, three times the speed of sound, and into space. "

Full article:
http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/space/06/18/ssone.flight.history/

Burt Rutan is the designer.  About 15 or 20 years ago, his brother Dick
Rutan and Jeana Yeager flew non-stop around the world in another airplane designed by Burt.  It took something like ten or twelve days to do.  I think the airplane is in the Smithsonian.

Edit -- Here's an article on that flight:
http://www.centennialofflight.gov/essay/Explorers_Record_Setters_and_Daredevils/rutan/EX32.htm

Title: Re:OT: Space
Post by: DocLotus on June 19, 2004, 10:44:08 pm

When they landed they had just 18 gallons of fuel left.

Title: Re:OT: Space
Post by: JimH on June 20, 2004, 07:24:57 pm

It's tomorrow morning.

"After release from the mothership, SpaceShipOne's pilot will ignite the rocket and pull up into an 80-second powered climb.

After the motor shuts down, the craft will coast the rest of the way up to a target altitude of 62 miles above the Earth.

The rocket plane will then re-enter the atmosphere and become a glider as it makes a 15- to 20-minute descent to a landing back at Mojave. "

Full article:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/science/20040620-1523-ca-privaterocket.html

Title: Re:OT: Space
Post by: IanG on June 21, 2004, 08:44:54 am

I can't get to it from work  >:(, but the BBC's got live coverage -http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/3811881.stm

Ian G.

Title: Re:OT: Space
Post by: JimH on June 21, 2004, 09:10:03 am

Thanks.  I've got it now.  The space ship is being carried aloft by another plane.  They are accompanied by a chase plane.

Title: Re:OT: Space
Post by: JimH on June 21, 2004, 09:58:04 am

The rocket fired and they went on up.  I don't know whether they made it to 60 miles.  The ship is on its way back down now.

Title: Re:OT: Space
Post by: GHammer on June 21, 2004, 10:02:45 am

I've been a space junky since the Gemini missions.

My ex-boss is the namesake of the Ansari Prize. She was a very cool lady. And I'm happy to have been associated with her.
http://www.xprize.org/ (http://www.xprize.org/)

So go guys go!

Title: Re:OT: Space
Post by: kiwi on June 21, 2004, 10:17:50 am

Watched the RealAudio.  Quite cool.  Made it down safely.  Now to see if they got highenough up.

Title: Re:OT: Space
Post by: Mysticeti on June 21, 2004, 02:57:12 pm

Sounds like they made it 62 miles high...

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=578&e=4&u=/nm/20040621/ts_nm/space_flight_dc

I hope the major networks give this ample coverage tonight.