http://www.scaled.com/projects/tierone/photos/images/video/13p_feather_tail.jpg



History is made in unlikely places. Once it was on a sandy hillside in North Carolina. Now its made in the high desert of southern california at an aircraft graveyard.

Congrats to all those associated with SpaceShipOne, winner of the X Prize and the first successful civilian space program. May you usher in a new era of spaceflight that all the politicians and bureaucrats work so hard to stiffle.

Mike Melvill: World's first commercial astronaut
Brian Binnie: World's second commercial astronaut
Burt Rutan and Scaled Composites: Designer and builder
Paul Allen: Project Capital
X Prize Foundation: The Inspiration and the Challenge
Richard Branson: Possible founder of the first "Spaceline"

Job well done!

/salute.

Thanks for reading this slight diversion, but I felt this might be of more historical importance than this up coming election. You may now return to your political bickering!

'You may now return to your political bickering!'

- No, you suck!

/sigh.

Its too bad that this thread, which I was hoping might be somewhat inspiring or at least something not related to terrorism, religion, Dubyah Bush and Joke Kerry, will probably get buried by the latest why (_insert canidate opposing the one you are going to vote for_) is a pigfucker thread.

Thankfully this election is over in a few weeks, and after a few months of calling each other stupid for allowing who ever wins to become president...we can get on with our lives.

Great thread. I really like reading about the last few joy rides thay had. Buch of crazy motherf%^&*!.

i love this story it rocks

I've been following that SpaceshipOne thing for a long time. Very interesting stuff.

Glad to see they made it. :)

I hope I can get a ride on something like that one day.

The challenge brings out man at his best!


Teamwork, Resolve, Ingenuity, Invention, Commitment, Desire, Pride, Daring, Balls the size of a mack truck and the Bankroll to back them up. This has been a great story to keep an eye on, and I am really happy for the team that showed us all it could be done.

Once again, the politicians may find a way to fuck up (http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/space/10/14/congress.space.tourism.ap/index.html) a good thing by regulation of something they totally do not understand diddly squat about in the name of safety.

Has anyone read Dan Brown's Point of Deception. It outlines quite a few reasons why commercial space enterprise is a bad idea. However, with some legislation to prevent them from like ... putting advertisements in orbit so you see them in the sky ... it could do a lot of good and save a lot of taxpayer money!

Yah, but this is not the same, Kelraz. Its just rides, not putting giant Blade Runner-esque billboard blimps in lower earth orbit. The government should not be fighting the inevitable. Considering how some of the more successful recent NASA missions have been done with realitively cheap systems made from off the shelf parts and controlled with laptop PCs, such as the Mars rovers, it maybe time for the government to learn a thing or two from private enterprise.

Besides, if commercial space industry is to work, it has to be designed to eventually appeal to anyone, not just hotshot military pilots walking the fine line. The person who might be nervous getting on an airliner has to feel at home getting into this machine that goes far faster and higher than a Boeing bus on wings does. It will have to be safer than anything every launched into space, which means it also has to be simple. The fewer moving parts and systems the better. Up until recently, it seemed the government could not dream of making anything remotely simple that it touches.

'Yah, but this is not the same, Kelraz. Its just rides, not putting giant Blade Runner-esque billboard blimps in lower earth orbit.'

- The day that happens, is the day when that last drop of dignity burns up in the atmosphere.

First flights and sand. Would that be the connection?

I think taking anything from a Dan Brown book seriously is about as smart as assuming those Danielle Steel books you read are documentaries.

Commercializing space flight doesn't in any way prevent government(s) from regulating the whole thing within reason. Same as any other new mode of travel that we've embarked on. You don't see the oceans covered with a giant McDonald's ad, or floating Nike swoosh shaped clouds in the sky do you?

But, but, the president in Deception Point said it would be bad!

I used the book as an example, I did say it could also potentially be good -- but there is a lot of room for exploitation. I'm personally for it, was just throwing out an alternative view for discussions sake.