Spaceship One: The First Private Flight into Space

Mike Melville pilots the diminutive "Spaceship One", carried aloft to its launch point above Mojave, Califorina, by Burt Rutan's incredible "White Knight". This budget flight showed NASA that their entire approach to space flight was really screwed up. But did they listen? Don't bet on it. Now Branson is having Rutan build a larger version of Spaceship one for paying customers! Wow! Private spaceflight could eclipse NASA in a few years!

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Spaceship
• One
• Burt
• Rutan
• space
• spaceflight

[Ragingnsweet]

There isn't the need for such mach numbers in suborbital flight. However if Burt can do this then I'd love to see what he has on his drawing board. I'll bet it would really put NASA to shame!

[lithiumdeuteride]

NASA's approach to spaceflight isn't screwed up. This kind of feathered re-entry simply does not work for re-entry from orbital velocities. It's fine if you're coming in at Mach 2, but it does not work for Mach 23.

Spaceship One cannot get to orbital velocities, nor could it re-enter from orbital velocities without being totally incinerated.

However, NASA could learn a thing or two about advertising from these guys.

[pkt42]

Yep, it's about time commerical space flight really took hold. Commercial companies will find ways to do things cheaper, easier. There is a book somewhere suggesting this route to space, where increasing space tourism funds further developemnt of bigger and better ships.

[dude58677]

"The Right Stuff 2"