X Prize Launch At Mojave Spaceport [updated: success!] 583
knovis writes "The Ansari X Prize is being attempted at this moment: 9:30am EST. Bert Rutan and Paul Allen's Scaled Composites is preparing to make the first of 2 launches necessary. For the uninitiated, the X-Prize is a $10M prize available to the first entirely privately funded organization that creates a vehicle that travels to 100km above the earth's surface (low earth orbit) twice within 2 weeks. IIRC, SpaceShipOne is planning 3 flights for that 2 week period, for safety. Best of luck to Private Spaceflight. Did anyone else notice that Virgin Galactic has just been launched?"
Project Zen writes "MSNBC has an article about how the seats won't be filled with people but mementos of the crew." Several readers sent links to CNN's story on the flight, and space.com's continuing coverage, including by webcam; NASA TV also has an eye on the launch. (Watch this space for updates.) Update: 09/29 15:57 GMT by T : Disconnect writes "As reported all over, SpaceShipOne successfully flew its first X-Prize flight attempt. As of now (11:45:40EST) the officials have not cleared the flight as successful, but it's looking good."
Good luck (Score:2, Insightful)
This is /. right??? (Score:2, Funny)
Re:This is /. right??? (Score:3, Funny)
personally, I'm sacrificing a goat later to appease Satan in hopes that he will not prematurely claim the lives of anyone working on this project to toil mercilessly in his underground sulphur mines for all eternity.
Either way... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:This is /. right??? (Score:5, Insightful)
ahh, let the religious types have their comfort. Doesn't hurt anything until it starts to infringe on our rights.
Change the second sentence to past tense, and I'd agree.
Let's Name the Winner "The Doohan". (Score:3, Interesting)
For sentimental reasons, we should probably rename SpaceShipOne to "The Doohan" -- in honor of James Doohan. Before he passes into oblivion, he would certainly feel honored that the first prototype of a commercial spacecraft is named after him.
There is always the remote possibility that the winner of the space prize will evolve, 100 years later, i
Re:Good luck (Score:4, Insightful)
Speaking as someone who is not religious, I find it ironic that so many people are so intolorant of those that are religious. Actually, the real irony is that the people who are intolorant of religion are usually the same bunch that are preaching (no pun intended) that everyone should be tolorant of others.
I guess it's ok to be tolorant of pedophiles or Islamic extremists or cross-dressing 1st grade teachers, but its not ok to respect the personal beliefs of Christians who are not imposing it on anyone. Remember, it's not intolorance if it's against Christians, right? Just like it's not racism if it's against Caucasians.
So, I wish the best of luck to all those who are involved with the project, and hope for a safe return. I guess you could call that a prayer of sorts. Personally, I don't feel threatened by anyone that believes something different than myself.
Re:Good luck (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Good luck (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Good luck (Score:3, Insightful)
No. I am saying I have friends who are Pagans, Wiccans, Christians, Jews, Agnostics, etc. Their religious beliefs are but one aspect of them, and I am not going to be so arrogant as to exclude someone just because they have a different spiritual philosophy than I do. If they are trying to convert me, then perhaps, but then my problem is NOT with their beliefs, b
Re:Good luck (Score:3, Insightful)
There's a hierarchy here. Cross-dressing 1st grade teachers don't harrass people in the streets, so they're absolutely fine. Pedophiles and Islamic extremists don't harrass me on the streets, although they harrass others, so I (sympathetically) consider them less okay. Christians harrass me on the stree
Re:Good luck (Score:4, Insightful)
The problem is you have to wade through so much crap, intolerance, and just...poor thinking...to get to the 'pearls' that it becomes a frustrating experience. Moderation abuse has made thresholding a completely unreliable filter. I have found too many great posts moderated to -1 by some jerk with an agenda to trust moderation any longer. This leaves me no option but to browse at -1 to make sure no signal gets thrown out with the noise.
I just want to know what you think, believe and/or find amusing. That's all.
Re:Good luck (Score:4, Insightful)
It's not the religion that bothers people, it's the acts of fundamentalists who act under the banner of that religion, whether they are pretending to be muslims or pretending to be christians. Fundamentalist religion is a major threat to peace and democracy (a lot of wars have been fought over it, and it is used with regularity to keep dictators in power). To pretend that is not the case is to open the door to the fundamentalists to destroy the very freedoms regular people hold dear.
That doesn't mean we should target people who hold strong religious beliefs, but it does mean we shouldn't expressly not target them just because of "freedom of religion." Freedom of religion is not the freedom to act as you please, and way too many religious fundamentalists seem to think that's the case and that they have some special right to go about their business, regardless of how much it harms other people, without government or law interfering with them.
Personally, I'm an agnostic, and I fail to understand why religion gets a free ride for so many things. If you hear your dead grandmother talking to you inside your head, you get sent to a shrink and are ridiculed, if you hear god talking to you inside your head, you become a religious or political leader and are respected. The mere mark of religion lets you get away with so much in life. Bush will get an incredibly amount of votes just for having faith, regardless of his actual performance as a president, and regardless of how true his acts are to what the bible says.
When you try to get a job, and you list credentials, you have to prove you actually did the things you claim. But when you run for office and use your faith to get it, you don't have to prove your acts in life are in compliance with your faith. Why? Why does religion always get a free ride, even from agnostics?
Re:Good luck (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Good luck (Score:4, Insightful)
The Hegel-think that men do lives on and on.
Re:Good luck (Score:3, Informative)
So I guess that the dictionnary is wrong then?
Prayer: 1 a (1) : an address (as a petition) to God or a god in word or thought
Comment removed (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Good luck (Score:3, Funny)
Perhaps maybe use the alternate phrase, "may the randomness of the Chaos be in your favor"
Re:Occam's Razor? (Score:3, Insightful)
If two competing theories can explain the same set of phenomena, then the simpler one wins. There might be a luminiferous ether through which everything moves, that is compressed by that movement in a way that completely compensates for the motion, leaving one unable to detect ones motion relative to the ether. Complicated, complicated, complicated. Or there might be no ether. Simple.
Which theory is better?
There might be gods that push the pl
I Hope They Tied it Down (Score:2, Funny)
Spaceship t minu 1 (Score:2, Funny)
Kiss that stream good bye (Score:3, Interesting)
Let's just hope Mike does ok with this, i'd hate to see someone die on an absolutely amazing thing these guys are doing. Granted I think they'll do ok but I am still worried about the guy, especially his family.
Go Mike GO!
Re:Kiss that stream good bye (Score:5, Informative)
I'm not sure it was delayed, per se. The high winds were anticipated as typical conditions of the Mojave - usually when the sun comes up in the Mojave, the winds die down for a while. This makes it a popular place for test flights, because the conditions right after sunrise are pretty predictable.
Re:Kiss that stream good bye (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Kiss that stream good bye (Score:5, Funny)
That is normal, don't worry about it.
Re:Kiss that stream good bye (Score:4, Informative)
Re:Kiss that stream good bye (Score:5, Insightful)
To _ME_ it looked like he got wind sheer or whatever that started the roll. You could see him fight it but it seems like he may have over compensated and sent it into a roll accidentally. But I have a feeling it was wind related and not mechanical or pilot error. It's gotta be hard to control that thing at those speeds with manual controls.
That was madness, me and my dad watched it all on CNN, i swear that reporter woman needs to be shot, dumb as a brick i tell ya.
On another note that intentional roll rocked, I seen him do that and cheered, that was amazing guys.
To me this is like my parents being able to watch apollo and all the first space flights. It's incredible and I'm glad to get to experience it. If i could i'd like to shake the hands of every man and woman involved in this effort, they made my day better by showing us what can be done with some effort and stick to your guns.
About an hour (Score:4, Informative)
I would consider skipping class for this but I have a test.
Break a leg! (Score:5, Funny)
I jest, but good luck.
Re:Break a leg! (Score:2)
The craft hits strong turbulence on the way up, causing over 1000 pounds of Tang from the cargo bay to come crashing down into the crew compartment. And just as fast as that - you have a broken leg.
Re:Break a leg! (Score:3, Funny)
And as long as it is evenly distributed amongst ten women, that sounds about the most pleasant way to break a leg imaginable.
If, on the other hand, it all belongs to one, then that's about the most horrific way imaginable to break a leg I've ever heard. Very, very disturbing.
Just to nitpick (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Just to nitpick (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Just to nitpick (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Just to nitpick (Score:3, Funny)
Same-day package delivery
Umm... are they serious? I can just see a UPS spacecraft dropping into my front lawn, leaving a slip saying they couldn't deliver since no one was home, and blasting off again.
orbit (Score:5, Insightful)
The orbital speed is in the ballpark of 17000 mph, which these guys are not even close to, and is the main reason for skepticism of cheap access to space. It's not going to the height of space that is hard-- managing to get to 17000 mph is the hard part, and the X-prize is not addressing it. Something tells me that various commercial launch systems like Delta, Soyuz, Arianne, etc. are already as cheap as it gets, and the problem does not get easier no matter how you slice it.
Re:Just to nitpick (Score:4, Informative)
Re:Just to nitpick (Score:4, Informative)
Good thing too, because if there was such an orbit, the Earth would be a black hole!
Live Webcast from X-Prize.org (Score:5, Informative)
XPrize.Org [xprize.org]
Re:Live Webcast from X-Prize.org (Score:4, Funny)
Bad Coz, bad Coz...
Re:Live Webcast from X-Prize.org (Score:2, Redundant)
Re:Live Webcast from X-Prize.org (Score:2)
MPlayer grabbed the audio for me, I'm struggling to get video. I don't think I"ll make it, but I had audio until fucking slashdot hit it.
Re:Live Webcast from X-Prize.org (Score:3, Informative)
deb ftp://ftp.nerim.net/debian-marillat unstable main
and install:
totem-xine
w32codecs
The WMP stream is working fine here - sometimes you have to restart totem if you get a no picture first time.
In case of slashdotting (Score:2)
Not much publicity...? (Score:4, Interesting)
...at least here in the UK. The last flight I was able to make plans in advance to see it live, but this is the first I've heard about this one - and it's the real thing!
Still, very best of luck to everyone involved - proof that some folk still have the "Right Stuff".
Re:Not much publicity...? (Score:2, Informative)
Weblog-style coverage (Score:5, Informative)
Direct NASA TV links (Score:5, Informative)
Real Media high quality [nasa.gov]
Windows Media [nasa.gov]
Many more... [napacomfort.com]
Well there *was* a webcast (Score:5, Funny)
"Yeah... I remember when the first commercial space launch occured. I was sitting in front of an idle browser window..."
Re: (Score:2)
Re:Well there *was* a webcast (Score:4, Funny)
Regardless, I've got no work to do this afternoon. How cool is that?
Bravo!!! (Score:5, Insightful)
This is really historic and very exciting. This is capitalism, pioneering and ballsiness at its best. All the stuff that made America great in the past. Nice to see it in the present.
more nitpicks (Score:5, Informative)
Um, no. (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Um, no. (Score:3, Insightful)
And with the deal announced a day or two ago re: "Virgin Galactic" you can bet Paul Allen has seen a nice return on his investment. Or at least, the odds of such a return have improved dramatically.
Re:More info on parent... (Score:3, Informative)
The kit planes were famous for the angled canard wings near the nose. Rutan designed them so that it was nearly impossible to stall the plane by making the canards lose lift before the main trailing wings did, thus
Re:More info on parent... (Score:3, Funny)
This is not -- "low earth orbit" (Score:2, Informative)
Up and Down - still impressive, what were the Virgin tickets $100,000?
-paul
Re:This is not -- "low earth orbit" (Score:3, Insightful)
I'm impressed. (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:I'm impressed. (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:I'm impressed. (Score:5, Interesting)
The general wisdom was the X-15 was a better bet for getting into space vs. missiles but it lost out to the rocket boys in the politics at NASA.
Re:I'm impressed. (Score:4, Informative)
No, the flyboys at Yeager's Test Pilot school believed that the X-15 was a better bet, in particular because Mercury was just a "man in a can." At that time, missiles were the best bet to get to orbit in a sustainable fashion, as the re-entry problem for blunt bodies had already been solved during the design of ICBM nosecones.
Furthermore, there is no chance that Rattan's craft will scale up to a lunar vehicle as the mothership aircraft would have to be enormous. If he can get an orbital vehicle out of this technology then this could prove to be an excellent way to ferry people to LEO, but it won't have the cargo capacity of even a Delta, much less a Saturn V.
It's cool but the bigger picture is cooler (Score:5, Informative)
http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/x15/cov
Those missions a rocket plane would detach from a B-52 and fly to suborbit and then glide back to earth and land like a plane.
What is really important is that resently there was an article about there being more billionaire's in the United States then there ever was in the history of the United States.
http://www.fool.com/News/mft/2004/mft04092701.htm [fool.com]
And now Paul Allen and Burt Rutan are about to prove (I hope!) that these rich kids can have their very own space program for a mere $20 million. Which hopefully will lead to an increase in aerospace start-ups and maybe a boom in aerospace technology similar to the
I hope this happens because not only will we finaly start seeing the promises made during the space race come to fruitation, but we can also learn from our past mistakes made during the dot com era and make a shit load of money by bailling out when the getin's good.
It's going to take a few years for this to start, Virgin is (assuming it's true and not a publicity stunt it's libel to be) not planning launches for another three years. That's time enough for everyone to change their major's and hit the books for the next big thing.
Of course if spaceshipone crashes and burns you can just forget about what I just said.
no mass transit has been profitable over time (Score:5, Interesting)
Do what you want to do and be the best at it you can, don't take a java class and hope for a dot-com million (unless you are already the type that regularly plays the local lottery). That's a bit of free advice (of course you get what you pay for).
Also it's interesting to note that no mass transit system in history has been consistantly profitable over time (e.g., busses, trains, airplanes, ferries). There are some isolated local successes, but overall the failure rate is really high and it's often the government (or a government licenced monopoly) that comes in an ends up picking up the slack (usually justified as infrastructure investment).
Some food for thought on your future career choice.
Aeroplanes (Score:3, Insightful)
Granted to a point (Score:3, Interesting)
I will reinforce your arguement with another example before I counter it.
In 1905 detroit there were over two hundred american automotive companies in or surronding detroit. Automobile Startups popped up left and right with entrepenuers opening their wallets to anyone with a neat idea about cars and how they will impact society and how
Re:I'm impressed. (Score:3)
Rutan has said that this design is scalable. With a larger lift craft and larger/more powerful rockets, he should be able to put together a craft along the same lines that achieves orbit. In the meantime, the suborbital flights are a step in the right direction, especially with commercial service starting soon cour
"Ansari" co-opting still really bothers me (Score:5, Interesting)
Once upon a time, I was truly excited and idealistic about the X-Prize. Now that it's the Ansari X Prize, and the Microsoft billionaire's project is going to win, it feels a bit "so what?"... it seems like Ansari and Allen could have just teamed up and accomplished the same thing - only, I guess, there wouldn't be as much publicity that way (and maybe no subsequent deals with Virgin). But the "contest" aspect now rings false and feels extraneous.
Re:"Ansari" co-opting still really bothers me (Score:3, Insightful)
Don't forget that another team from Canada plans on making a go at the prize too (or at least a footnote on the record books at this point).
Re:"Ansari" co-opting still really bothers me (Score:5, Interesting)
If the foundation takes the money and runs to Argentina or Pakistan you have a right to be pissed (I will be too.) If instead they announce a prize to get people to orbit, I would be incredibly impressed. It is just in that case Robert Bigelow is going to beat them to the punch with his own prize.
Orbital (LEO) flight: The next major frontier for private spaceflight. Keep in mind the quote from R.A. Heinlein: "Low Earth Orbit is half-way to the rest of the solar system." If you can get there, getting the rest of the way to places like the moon or Mars or even Europa is going to be comparatively easy.
Lets hope... (Score:3, Funny)
O'Keefe jealous? (Score:5, Insightful)
Yes, I'm sure some of the technology used in WK/SSO could be traced to some NASA programs, but, please, credit where due. This is an original effort, from a true innovator who has been developing original fuselage fabrication technology for thirty years.
I Can't Believe They Chose Mojave (Score:4, Funny)
erh...
OH! Mo-jave Spaceport! My bad.....
Space is easy; Orbit is hard (Score:3, Interesting)
They did it! (Score:4, Informative)
Sweeeeeet....
Multiple rolls on ascent (Score:3, Interesting)
The CNN interviewer kept interjecting nonsense, so I muted the TV and listened to the web feed, where they didn't feel the need to talk when they had nothing to say.
Re:Multiple rolls on ascent (Score:3, Interesting)
the rolls were increasing in speed to the point that they had to abort, they went into feather mode and STILL went past the mark, if it would have been a successful flight they would have went way the hell up there.
SpaceShipOne would have been ripped apart if it was not for the pilot.
I certianly would have shat my self, pissed myself and probably puked all over the cabin.
They chose the right man to pilot that thing.
Lovely quote from live coverage (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Lovely quote from live coverage (Score:3, Insightful)
Aerodynamics and 'correction' (Score:5, Interesting)
Did anyone notice this?
I was watching the live feed, and saw the plane spin wildly before he cut off the engine.
The SpaceFlightNow status update [spaceflightnow.com] page said "The craft is in a major tumble!". Several minutes after that, it was 'corrected' to : "The craft is in a major roll!"
I think they still have some issues with the aerodynamics at this speed.
Not that this will affect them in their bid in the race. They seem to be well poised to win.
Re:Aerodynamics and 'correction' (Score:3, Insightful)
In true test-pilot fashion, he did an intentional victory roll on the way back down.
This is intense, I'm jumping up and down screaming at the tv...
Re:Aerodynamics and 'correction' (Score:3, Informative)
Now, it's unclear in what I've read whether SS1 has gyros. If roll is a regular occurrence with this type of spacecraft, I'm sure there will need to be some design changes to introduce better stability with respect to that axis.
I guess that roll on ascent (Score:5, Funny)
That's pretty hairy... (Score:4, Insightful)
WHAT THIS MEANS is that I get to visit space in my lifetime, for the cost of a nice round the world cruise.
Was watching the live webcast, and there was a point during the ascent where SpaceShipOne went into a series of barrel rolls on the way up - and it looked (to my uneducated eyes) like the pilot lost control of the craft for a bit.
In the descent SpaceShipOne was rolling left to right quite a bit, and there was vibration clearly visible in the winglets when it went into shuttlecock mode.
I'm watching to see how the landing goes. Fingers crossed none of the landing gear was damaged.
Re:That's pretty hairy... (Score:3, Insightful)
Personally, while I respect the engineering that went into this, I don't consider this space travel. Space travel to me means at least a controlled orbital entry and return.
I don't care that "they" have defined space at 100km. It ain't space travel.
Events summary up to 11:18 a.m. EDT (Score:5, Informative)
DROP! SpaceShipOne has been released from the White Knight mothership.
1510 GMT (11:10 a.m. EDT)
IGNITION! SpaceShipOne is firing to space in pursuit of the $10 million Ansari X Priz
1512 GMT (11:12 a.m. EDT)
Altitude is 250,000 feet. Craft appears to be in a tumble from the tracking cameras.
1512 GMT (11:12 a.m. EDT)
Altitude achieved was 330,000 feet, which was needed for the X Prize.
1514 GMT (11:14 a.m. EDT)
The ship appears in a much smoother orientation following the major roll experienced at the end of the burn. The wings have feathered for the descent.
1516 GMT (11:16 a.m. EDT)
The descent continues. SpaceShipOne looks to be under good control as the wings are folded back down and locked for a powerless glide to landing on the runway.
1518 GMT (11:18 a.m. EDT)
SpaceShipOne is descending through 35,000 feet and cleared for landi
More here [spaceflightnow.com]
TOUCHDOWN!!! (Score:3, Informative)
SpaceShipOne has landed safely, bringing Mike Melvill back to Earth after a seemingly frightening flight that experienced a major roll during the engine firing!!!
More info here [spaceflightnow.com]
Quote from Dick Rutan re: the roll... (Score:5, Interesting)
I love these guys.
X-Cup (Score:4, Funny)
Mandatory retirement (Score:5, Insightful)
I think I speak for millions of "space geeks"... (Score:3, Insightful)
WOO HOO!!!!
(Seriously, I've been glued to the broadcast all morning. This is an exciting event, especially to someone like me who grew up in a house decorated with framed NASA mission patches, and photographs of Apollo rockets and the Earth as seen from space. The Right Stuff, indeed.)
exciting! (Score:3, Insightful)
To NASA: I'm sorry that you are officially so down on the concept of space tourism, but it's this kind of exposure that is going to get people interested in space again. What if the oceans or skies had been reserved for scientific research only?
New $50 Million Prize for Private Orbiter (Score:3, Interesting)
Full story here [space.com]
Cheap Microsatellite Boost (Score:3, Insightful)
Space tourists for $200k a head? Yawn.
A slightly reconfigured SpaceShip One could probably earn a handsome profit lugging small (~300 pound) satellites into orbit, opening all kinds of GPS & communications markets to small and medium sized companies presently locked out by exorbitant boost prices.
Although additional lift would be required from 100km to stationary orbit, it shouldn't be terribly difficult to engineer a (relatively) inexpensive modular "shell" around the satellite with 100-200 lbs of fuel and a small motor to propel it to it's desired parking place. After all, most of the energy required to launch satellites is wasted just fighting your way out of orbit, and that is what SpaceShip One has solved. A cheap ride to LEO. Significantly less energy required from there to your parking spot.
As more private space companies emerge, and the usual business expansion/contraction/merger phase cools down, we'll be left with a handful of competitors for various corporations and governments to shop around for cheapest boost prices. Everyone wins! Consumers get cool new gizmos & services.
Today's launch is but a sliver-sized glimpse of the future.
Thanks Burt! (Score:3)
I just wish I could work there where future is wrought.
NASA Responds With Class (Score:3, Informative)
Headquarters, Washington Sept. 29, 2004
(Phone: 202/358-1898)
RELEASE: 04-323
NASA SALUTES SPACESHIPONE TEAM AFTER SECOND FLIGHT
NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe congratulated the
SpaceShipOne team on the second successful flight of a human on
a private spacecraft. Administrator O'Keefe was in the Mojave
Desert, Calif., today to watch SpaceShipOne pilot Mike Melvill
take off and safely land.
"Burt Rutan and Paul Allen and the rest of the team are great
examples of the kind of determination and creativity that is
helping America achieve its exploration goals," Administrator
O'Keefe said. "We at NASA applaud their terrific achievement
today, as well as the spirit of competition behind the Ansari X
Prize.We wish Mike continued safe travels to space," he said.
>From the orbiting International Space Station, NASA astronaut
Mike Fincke took note of the SpaceShipOne flight. "Well, it was
nice that [cosmonaut] Gennady [Padalka] and I weren't the only
two humans off the planet, even if it was only for a little
while," he said during space-to-ground transmissions today.
"So, good job and congratulations to the SpaceShipOne team!"
Fincke's comments are available on the NASA TV Video File
available on the Web and via satellite in the continental U.S.
on AMC-6, Transponder 9C, C-Band, at 72 degrees west longitude.
The frequency is 3880.0 MHz. Polarization is vertical, and
audio is monaural at 6.80 MHz. In Alaska and Hawaii, NASA TV is
available on AMC-7, Transponder 18C, C-Band, at 137 degrees
west longitude. The frequency is 4060.0 MHz. Polarization is
vertical, and audio is monaural at 6.80 MHz. For NASA TV
information and schedules on the Internet, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/ntv
For information about NASA's exploration and discovery
programs, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov
-end-
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Re:Any way to watch the stream under Linux? (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Eligable for the X-Prize? (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Oops... (Score:3, Insightful)