FAA Grants Sub-Orbital License to SpaceShipOne

abucior writes "The FAA announced today that Scaled Composites has been granted a launch licence for a series of sub-orbital flights over a one-year period for Burt Rutan's SpaceShipOne. Is X Prize finally entering the end-game? Space.com has more information on the move."

Re:eek

[AndroidCat]

demonstrate adequate financial responsibility to cover any potential losses

Can you imagine the call to the insurance company to get a policy? I don't think "saving a bundle" is one of the options.

Re:License Requirements

[Lazyhound]

You have to be able to sing "Rocket Man" from memory.

Vanity plates?

[falken0905]

Gee, i wonder if the FAA issues 'vanity plates'? I also wonder if the license plate will be made of low-drag material. Do they have to display inspection stickers on the windshield? So many questions come to mind. Ponderous.

Re:Crock of Shit

[Tatarize]

The Department of Energy banned larger bowled toilets so frankly we need government approval for more than the skies.

In a practical sense, you don't need there stupid aircraft hitting another aircraft, so it really is best to check. Without governement regulation on the sky it might be a little more difficult to get from point A to point B, because idiot C has a hot air balloon, near an airport and causes plane D to be flameball E.

Re:Throwing stuff into space ... legally.

[ckaminski]

And what exactly are they going to use to shoot down your rocket travelling at hypersonic speeds?

</pendantry>

Re:Throwing stuff into space ... legally.

[Anonymous Coward]

Keep the rocket, launch the lawyers.

Re:License Requirements

[fucksl4shd0t]

You have to be able to sing "Rocket Man" from memory.

So does William Shatner have such a license, then?

Bush doesn't want us on the moon

[Anonymous Coward]

Bush doesn't want us on the moon. Why? Think of the evening news stories: "Today, Apollo 59 landed on the moon again, costing taxpayers $155 trillion dollars, drilled some tiny holes in rocks, took several pictures, discovered NO WEAPONS of mass distruction and found 6 more votes for Al Gore."

Deja vu all over again...

[jemenake]

Is X Prize finally entering the end-game?

Well, seeing as how we're also trying to recruit people who talk like chimps [slashdot.org], the "payload" is being taken care of as we speak.

Of course, the American chimp-speakers will undoubtedly demand too high of a salary, so they'll probably just teach someone from an Indian call center how to speak chimp as well as they speak English and save a bundle.

Ah yes...

[fireman sam]

... but is it compatible with the GPL, if not, we cannot support it.

Can they afford it?

[Anonymous Coward]

...after all, it's only Paul Allen funding it.

If they can lauch one Microsoft Founder into space, why not both of them?

Re:License Requirements

[No. 24601]

So does William Shatner have such a license, then?

The man says you gotta be able to sing... what part of that do you not understand?