Nova launch close up

[kel1981]

Bit loud innit?

[plasmalux]

"Yet Bennet continues to try to reinvent crude rocket motors"

Benett has to invent his own propulsion systems due to ITAR. I'm sure he'd love to ship in a complete RD-180 engine from the states but there is the wee problem of arms regulation.

" Clueless dreamers"

Well, the ESA certainly felt Starchaser were competent enough to be awarded a study contract for $194,000 in 2007.

Remember, old chap. Robert Goddard was himself labelled a 'dreamer' back in the day...

[trauben100]

Steve Bennett's Starchaser team are the best bunch of rocket scientists in the UK, they will make private space tourism a reality for everyone

[plasmalux]

Steve Benett is a God when it comes to designing rockets. In 200 years time his work on Nova and Thunderstar will be compared to Stephenson's work on the first steam locomotive.

[BarriosGroupie]

One problem with that analogy, other people sent men to the moon b4 he was building his rocket

[plasmalux]

Agreed: I think if Benett is successful in creating a passenger launching rocket, then the prior absence of any sort of native British work in pursuing such a goal (and the historic failure in the delivery of any such system) will mark Benett's efforts out as unique in UK history. I think he will therefore be nationally compared to Stevenson,  while the US would probably celebrate Burt Rutan in a similar vain: Both having pioneered public access to a new medium...

[BarriosGroupie]

Duh... Stephenson invented the FIRST steam locomotive whereas Steve Bennet is copying tschnology that's been around for decades - and a poor copy it is

[plasmalux]

I think you are mistaken old boy. Richard Trevithick was the inventor of the Steam Locomotive. Stephenson built the first public railyway line. Stephenson therefore, opened the technology for public use in the same way that Benett and others are opening up the use of rockets for public space travel.

I don't think Benett's work represents a poor copy of anything, either. The man has done marvellously considering the fact he's not receiving lavish government funding.

[BarriosGroupie]

plasmalux, yes, ur right. But you have to remember that in the competition Stephen's Rocket won, others failed for mechanical reasons or were too crude to take part and I'm afraid Bennet's enterprise, although inspirational to amateurs, is run by clueless dreamers.

Even the British scientists that made the Blue Streak missile in 1964 bought motor technology from the Americans because they didn't have the know-how. Yet Bennet continues to try to reinvent crude rocket motors.

[ashbytimuk]

@BarriosGroupie "the British scientists that made the Blue Streak missile in 1964 bought motor technology from the Americans because they didn't have the know-how". No! They used German technology that they got following the fall of Nazi Germany. Get it right please.