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Science

First-Ever Private Spaceport Nears Final Approval 231

Posted by simoniker from the just-like-the-jetsons dept.
bobhagopian writes "According to the article on Space.com, the Federal Aviation Administration is nearing the final stages of certifying the Mojave Airport as the first-ever private spaceport. Both Scaled Composites and XCOR Aerospace (the two leading competitors in the X-Prize competition) currently fly out of Mojave Airport. The approval of a commercial spaceport will certainly facilitate the creation of even more private-sector space technologies."
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First-Ever Private Spaceport Nears Final Approval More

First-Ever Private Spaceport Nears Final Approval

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  • But before launch... (Score:4, Funny)

    by Bingo Foo ( 179380 ) on Monday May 24, 2004 @04:34PM (#9241965)
    Make sure you deactivate the Excelsior's Trans-Warp Drive.

  • Now (Score:5, Funny)

    by supe ( 163410 ) on Monday May 24, 2004 @04:35PM (#9241967) Journal
    There will finally be a place for *visitors* to land
    and visit!

    • Re:Now (Score:4, Funny)

      by cebarro ( 596789 ) on Monday May 24, 2004 @04:58PM (#9242202)
      Just what we need. Said visitors land, disembark, and are immediately hit with advertising and ushered into a starbucks....
      • Eh, that'll probably be a relief after DHS is done with them.

      • but.... (Score:3, Interesting)

        by garyrich ( 30652 )
        There *isn't* a Starbucks near the Mojave Airport. At least there wasn't last time I was there. I think I will go open franchise now while land values are cheap!

        Seriously though: Mojave and California City have some of the cheapest raw land per acre in SoCal. I wonder if this would create a land boom there long term. Or if, when it became a more mature industry, would spaceports move to the traditional (at least in SF) equatorial areas.

  • Alien Landing Authority (Score:4, Funny)

    by DaHat ( 247651 ) on Monday May 24, 2004 @04:35PM (#9241969)
    Does this mean that ET will not need government approval to set down at this space port?

  • So does this mean... (Score:5, Funny)

    by macshune ( 628296 ) on Monday May 24, 2004 @04:36PM (#9241988) Journal
    That they'll change all the signs to the Mojave Airport to the Mojave Spaceport? That would be really cool and I bet those signs 'll disappear every week or so:)
  • No one has won the X-Prize yet. If they aren't going into space yet, isn't calling where they're flying from a "spaceport" a bit premature?

    • Re:There's just one small problem (Score:4, Funny)

      by nizo ( 81281 ) on Monday May 24, 2004 @04:39PM (#9242022) Homepage Journal
      No one has won the X-Prize yet. If they aren't going into space yet, isn't calling where they're flying from a "spaceport" a bit premature?

      Ahh, but once they do make it into space, they won't have to change all the signs/business cards/etc. Saves time and money!

    • Re:There's just one small problem (Score:5, Insightful)

      by cemaco ( 665884 ) on Monday May 24, 2004 @04:47PM (#9242097)
      Think of it as a sign of confidence and commitment. It means even the government is beginning to realize that the private sector has a better chance of making space exploration a going concern. Sort of an approving nod. Official recognition is usually a good thing. With all the red tape involved, making the efort main stream is absolutely necessary. This is a start.
      • You're kidding, right? Commercial space exploration? Who do you think will invest money in something that's expensive and unlikely to yield results?

        • Re:There's just one small problem (Score:4, Insightful)

          by snake_dad ( 311844 ) on Monday May 24, 2004 @07:16PM (#9243173) Homepage Journal
          I kinda wanted to mod you down, but since you asked nicely, I'll just reply. Scaled Composites (Burt Rutan's company) seems to believe in it enough to invest a lot into creating a sub-orbial spacecraft. In case you don't know: Scaled Composites is the company most likely to win the X Prize, and I think they've invested a lot more than the $10m prize money. Some of the other X Prize contenders seem to have the same faith in a profitable market.
          • I don't consider duplicating something NASA achieved decades ago to be space exploration. I'm sure there is quite a market for launching Earth satellites and possibly space tourism, but as far as traveling to different planets and actually exploring space -- that's a money pit, and no commercial company likes to get into money pits.
    • Well the theory is that if they DO get into space for the X-prise, it would suck to be told, oh you can't land here we arn't a spaceport please circle while we get FAA approval to land a spacecraft at our airport!

    • Not at all.. (Score:3, Funny)

      by raehl ( 609729 ) *
      Nobody said it had to have departures before it could accept arrivals.

      I better get moving on my patent for "A method for transferring alien tourists to Vegas".

  • location location location (Score:5, Funny)

    by proj_2501 ( 78149 ) <mkb@ele.uri.edu> on Monday May 24, 2004 @04:38PM (#9242000) Journal
    is mojave a proper locale for a wretched hive of scum and villainy?

  • $Bling$Bling$? (Score:4, Funny)

    by neuro.slug ( 628600 ) <neuro__.hotmail@com> on Monday May 24, 2004 @04:38PM (#9242002)
    Great... now rappers won't be content with having their own armada of Escalades... the only question is: How does one attach 24s to a shuttle?

    -- n
    • Well, from a site [webmichelin.com] I randomly googled, Shuttle mains are about 44s....so, estimating roughly, about fitty-twos should be good enough for a start. With built-in RCS (Reaction Control Spinnaz).

      *beep*Aww jeah!*beep*

      --riney

  • Government Issued ID? (Score:5, Funny)

    by kmankmankman2001 ( 567212 ) on Monday May 24, 2004 @04:39PM (#9242010)
    But when the aliens land there, how will Homeland Security be able to verify the required government issued ID?

    Probably not a real issue; once aliens sample what passes for food in an Earth airport, err, I mean SPACEport the word will travel quickly and they will all stop coming.
  • So...what are the civilians going to DO in space?
    Unlike astronauts, they don't have to take scientific readings of everything.

    Other than the wow-factor of, "I've been in outer space!", there really isn't a reason for the average civilian to go...It's not like they're going to visit relatives on Mars ;)

    • Re:What are they going to do? (Score:5, Insightful)

      by Chairboy ( 88841 ) on Monday May 24, 2004 @04:45PM (#9242073) Homepage
      Was there any real reason for non-explorers to visit North America back in the 1400-1500s?

      I mean, aside from the wow-factor of, "I've been to the New World!", there wasn't really a reason for the average civilian to go. It's not like they're going to visit relatives or anything.
      • Was there any real reason for non-explorers to visit North America back in the 1400-1500s?

        Sure.. even if they weren't "explorers", i'm sure many of the people who came over here were after other things, like potantially acquiring vast ammounts of wealth, or possibly just to escape from their otherwise oppressive homeland.

        Just two reasons off the top of my head.. im sure you can think of others if you really try. ;)

      • Re:What are they going to do? (Score:5, Insightful)

        by Sgt York ( 591446 ) <jvolm@earthli[ ]net ['nk.' in gap]> on Monday May 24, 2004 @04:56PM (#9242183)
        They were going for fame & fortune. OK, so fame is "I've been to the New World!", but there was the crucial "fortune" aspect as well. They were after gold, or land, or trade, or some other natural resource. People went because they wanted more than what they had; they wanted land, or wealth, or freedom. Besides, most people who went to the New World stayed there. Kinda loses the coolness factor when everyone you know did the same thing.

        The reason there was a mass influx unto the New World is because there was money in it. And that is the same way you'll see an influx into space from the private sector : once there is money in it. And yes, I know 15 quadrrillion dollars worth of minerals on each asteroid, the moon is a giant lump of He-3, and we can beam down solar energy from microwave stations.

        Make the harvesting of asteroids feasible and profitable. Find a present-day use for He-3, and then find a way to collect it that is feasible and profitable. Make the microwave-beaming-thing feasible and profitable, too. Then you will see people enter space.

      • I mean, aside from the wow-factor of, "I've been to the New World!"

        This being modded +5 shows how much some moderators here lack fundamental history knowledge... :-(

        It was a journey for wealth, power and hopes for a better life than where they lived now. Many failed to find what they were looking for, although some did. It was everything but a travel for "taking a look" and being able to say "hey, I've been to the New World!". Actually, they usually didn't return to say anything at all.

    • Re:What are they going to do? (Score:4, Insightful)

      by cmowire ( 254489 ) on Monday May 24, 2004 @04:45PM (#9242081) Homepage
      Dude..... Zero-g sex...... nuff said....

      But seriously, there's plenty to do, assuming that you've got a cheap way to get stuff up there. Part of the reason why com sats, mapping sats, etc. are so expensive is because they need to be incredibly lightweight to economize on launch costs. Remember, a cellular phone satelite doesn't have people complaining about it being in their back yard.

    • Re:What are they going to do? (Score:5, Insightful)

      by mrright ( 301778 ) <rudi&lambda-computing,com> on Monday May 24, 2004 @04:49PM (#9242125) Homepage
      Tourists will do all kinds of things. Favorite activities will be looking out of the window, all kinds of strange zero gravity sports, and of course zero-gravity sex.

      And who says that civilians can not do science in space? There is a lot of science that has not yet been done by NASA, so you can expect many of the initial customers to be from universities and private research labs.
      • "And who says that civilians can not do science in space? There is a lot of science that has not yet been done by NASA, so you can expect many of the initial customers to be from universities and private research labs."

        Like studying the effects of too much Pop Rocks, Pepsi and burritos consumed by an overweight man in zero gravity.

      • Shoulda answered that with "WHO are they going to do?"

        New area for the porn industry. Anyone done experiments on how well the condom regulation can be withheld in space?

    • Re:What are they going to do? (Score:5, Insightful)

      by dustinbarbour ( 721795 ) on Monday May 24, 2004 @04:50PM (#9242128) Homepage
      I don't think civilians will go to space merely for the wow factor. I mean, space tourism will have a small niche, but I don't see it getting big just yet. However, getting civilian companies into the business of launching satellites, hiring private astronauts, and other such things seems (to me, anyway) the future of the business. We need to stop relying on NASA and the Europeans to launch our satellites. We all know that governments are ridiculously bad at spending more than need be. Civilians companies are much, much better at it (though not perfect). And that's the whole idea, right? To lower the cost of getting into space? NASA and government-backed space agencies don't have the same impetus to lower costs and raise productivity.

    • Re:What are they going to do? (Score:4, Insightful)

      by Goldsmith ( 561202 ) on Monday May 24, 2004 @04:51PM (#9242135)
      Maybe YOU don't have relatives on Mars...

      Why do people go to Florida in the summer? It's hot, humid and full of bugs. Yet, people from around the world go to Disney just because they've never been there. I think the X-prize winners will find enough people to make a buck.

    • So...what are the civilians going to DO in space?
      Unlike astronauts, they don't have to take scientific readings of everything.

      Other than the wow-factor of, "I've been in outer space!", there really isn't a reason for the average civilian to go...It's not like they're going to visit relatives on Mars ;)

      I think you're missing the point. You could just as easily ask why people climb Mt. Everest or run marathons. It's not like anyone climbing Everest is set to make some big scientific discovery. They

    • Re:What are they going to do? (Score:4, Insightful)

      by miketang16 ( 585602 ) * on Monday May 24, 2004 @04:55PM (#9242181) Journal
      A fair majority of scientists and researchers are civilians. I'm sure they'd be lining up to get out of the atmosphere and run their experiments. Plus, privatizing space travel keeps it from becoming a government "monopoly". In other words, if we don't think the government is making effective use of its space travel ability, then (with enough funding) we can do it ourselves.

    • Re:What are they going to do? (Score:4, Insightful)

      by 91degrees ( 207121 ) on Monday May 24, 2004 @05:06PM (#9242255) Journal
      So...what are the civilians going to DO in space?

      Good question. I'll let you know in 20 years.

      50 years ago, you might well have asked why someone would want a computer in their home. I doubt anyone could have given you a particularly good answer to that one at the time. So, I think the answer is that we don't know. Hopefully something fantastic. Of course, it also quite possible that the whole thing becomes a huge waste white elephant.
      • I doubt anyone could have given you a particularly good answer to that one at the time.

        Hell, 20 years ago, one of the major selling points of home computers were that you could keep all your recipes on them.

        --
        Evan "Even now, people keep thinking that they need personal databases"

      • being in a backwards hicktown that is probably 40 or 50 years behind the rest of the world, I still get asked why on earth I need a computer for, and what possible use anyone could have for a computer in their home. The internet, and by extention computers, to most of the world, is just a place with a bunch of bad people, pornography(what is pornography? information that they don't agree with?), pedophiles(ie anyone in any chat rooms) and really nothing more interesting than television on it(if porn isn't
    • So...what are the civilians going to DO in space?

      Space is merely what tourists will pass through on their way to exciting destinations. For myself, I intend to start selling trips to the surface of the sun. Can you think of a hotter, more exciting place to be? I can think of several groups off the top of my head who would be good sales prospects:

      The American Bar Association
      The Internal Revenue Service
      The Recording Industry Association of America
      SCO Management
      The International Organization of Spam

    • So...what are the civilians going to DO in space?

      So...what are the civilians going to DO in Hawaii?

      Oh. Right. Spend a ton of money on transportation, gawk at the scenery for a while, and go home. This seems to be a viable economic model.

  • ...are the actual space ships. I'm definitely looking forward to many of the X-Prize contenders, but so far they're only building simple rockets to go up and down. It's a great in-between stage, but I'm looking forward to the day when orbital rockets will be built.

    The one caveat to that is that a manned orbital rocket would probably be launched from the ocean rather than land. The reason for that is that water makes a plentiful rocket fuel. Tote along a reactor (nuclear is preferable, but diesel will do), convert sea water to LHOx, and launch your rocket. (This was the premise behind the Sea Dragon [astronautix.com] craft.) While a nuclear generator would probably be out of the range of a private company, using a diesel and/or solar reactor to make the fuel could cut the costs of the launch considerably.

    Oh, and it's environmentally friendly.

    • Re:Now all we need... (Score:3, Insightful)

      by kippy ( 416183 )
      I guess you could launch from the ocean but water is available elsewhere. Just turn on the tap or get it from a local river or lake. It would be a whole lot easier to get some replacement parts or whatever if you were on land than on some oil rig in the middle of nowhere.
      • Usually you're talking only a few miles off shore. That way, the rocket can launch toward the rest of the ocean (making for plentiful abort options) and any rockets that are destroyed don't land on people's heads. That's pretty much the same reason why NASA launches from Florida. Although I've never quite understood why they don't manufacture fuel on site. Probably has something to do with special additives and/or purity levels that improve the fuel combustion. A private venture might be slightly less concerned with the same levels of fuel efficiency.

        • A private venture might be slightly less concerned with the same levels of fuel efficiency

          Oh, come on! You believe the myths that say public (read: government) ventures are more efficient or work better than private? A private venture with limited funding absolutely must get the most efficient use of resources or they are toast -- unless they have very deep pockets and are willing to squander. Which pretty much describes government projects. If you want bloat, look at NASA. If you want efficiency,

          • You believe the myths that say public (read: government) ventures are more efficient or work better than private?

            No, I'm saying that private ventures know "good enough" when they see it. If it costs your private company an extra $50 mil to improve fuel efficiency by 3%, why do it? Just build a bigger *$%^ing rocket!
      • I thought that very same thing when watching Cowboy Bebop. There's a spaceship that lands on water, no need to worry about getting the approach to the runway right first time, you just land at your leisure. A totally sensible proposal, and the Mercury and Apollo missions did likewise, albeit in the vertical rather than hosrizontal fashion.

        I've also thought the same thing about atmospheric travel. I was up in Vancouver last year and was intrigued by the floatplanes. I was thinking, 'why aren't there m

        • Re:Absolutely right (Score:4, Informative)

          by jandrese ( 485 ) * <kensama@vt.edu> on Monday May 24, 2004 @11:00PM (#9244418) Homepage Journal
          Floatplanes have numerous disadvantages that you must consider.
          1. Water has a higher drag than rubber-on-concrete, so you need more power to get up to speed to lift off, which lowers your max gross takeoff weight.
          2. Floats are generally bulky and cannot be retraced, so they cut into your fuel efficency in the air. The floats themselves are also heavier than the wheels they replace (and sometimes incorperate wheels), which lowers the amount of cargo you can carry
          3. Water can turn choppy at a moments notice, and choppy water is treacherous to land in.
          4. Land next to water is expensive, and your airport consists of more than runways. Your terminal, fuel shed, and hangers will be on expensive waterfront property
          This only touched on a few points, but it should be obvious why most airports are not on the water. For small "puddle jumpers" seaplanes are the perfect solution, but for generalized travel they just aren't economical.

    • Re:Now all we need... (Score:3, Informative)

      by f97tosc ( 578893 )
      Clearly if you have the technology and money to Tote along a reactor (nuclear is preferable, but diesel will do), convert sea water to LHOx, and launch your rocket, transporting a truckload of water to wherever you please is a small matter.

      Tor
    • The reason for that is that water makes a plentiful rocket fuel.

      I already have a water powered rocket. [realcooltoys.com]

  • "Private" Spaceport (Score:3, Insightful)

    by Cyberherbalist ( 731257 ) * on Monday May 24, 2004 @04:42PM (#9242052) Homepage
    That is a neat thing, to have an actual "official" spaceport, but it will be even more exciting when the FAA designates a "public" spaceport! But I am looking forward to spacecraft with "RyanAir" markings setting down at our local municipal air... ahem SPACEport!

  • Really Cool Place (Score:5, Informative)

    by kavachameleon ( 637997 ) on Monday May 24, 2004 @04:42PM (#9242055)
    The Mojave Airport is a really cool place... you drive by it and there's nothing but random planes, everything from jetliners to fighter jets. They're mostly an aircraft storage yard. Picture of their storage yard [mojaveairport.com] Link to their main site [mojaveairport.com]

  • New Sig, anyone (Score:5, Funny)

    by SoSueMe ( 263478 ) on Monday May 24, 2004 @04:46PM (#9242084)
    Space is big. Space is dark. Now we have a place to park

  • There's already a spaceport (Score:5, Informative)

    by xil ( 151104 ) on Monday May 24, 2004 @04:50PM (#9242130)
    What about the Green River Intergalactic Spaceport [airnav.com] in Wyoming?

    • That hardly qualifies as an airport. (Score:5, Funny)

      by douglips ( 513461 ) on Monday May 24, 2004 @05:41PM (#9242554) Homepage Journal
      The description reads like Jeff Foxworthy: "You might be a redneck if your airport has..."

      Surface:
      dirt, in poor condition
      ROUGH; DEBRIS FULL LENGTH OF RY; BROKEN BOTTLES & FIREWORKS DEBRIS.
      Runway edge markings:
      /22 MARKED WITH +10 FT STEEP DROP OFF SIGNS AT BOTH ENDS.

      • RY SOFT WHEN WET. DEEP RUTS & TALL GRASS FULL LENGTH OF RY.
      • ARPT ON TOP OF MOUNTAIN; LAND DESCENDS VERY STEEPLY FROM RWY ENDS.
      • NO LINE OF SIGHT BTN RWY ENDS.
      • NO SNOW REMOVAL AVAILABLE.
      • CAUTION RADIO CTLD MODEL ACFT OPERATION N SIDE OF RWY.

  • Good location. (Score:5, Informative)

    by Ungrounded Lightning ( 62228 ) on Monday May 24, 2004 @04:51PM (#9242136) Journal
    That's a good location:

    - Just over 1/2 mile up.
    - Latitude 38 (not ideal but still good)
    - Handy highways.
    - Town and roads to the West, lots of nice empty desert to ditch in to the east (which is the direction you're headed if you want the earth's help getting to orbit).

  • Interesting scaled facts: (Score:3, Informative)

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 24, 2004 @04:57PM (#9242194)
    No one ever saw this last scaled article;
    Check it out!
    White Knight, the carrier is N318SL.
    SS1, the spacecraft is N328KF.

    Note below that SS1 is a model 316 and WK is model 318.

    (previously discussed, there is no model 317)

    [begin FAA registry querry results]

    N318SL is Assigned
    Aircraft Description
    Serial Number 001 Type Registration Corporation
    Manufacturer Name SCALED COMPOSITES LLC Certificate Issue Date 07/05/2002
    Model 318 Status Valid
    Type Aircraft Fixed Wing Multi-Engine Type Engine Turbo-Jet
    Pending Number Change None Dealer No
    Date Change Authorized None Mode S Code 50663044
    MFR Year 2002 Fractional Owner NO
    Registered Owner
    Name SCALED COMPOSITES LLC
    Street 1624 FLIGHT LINE
    City MOJAVE State CALIFORNIA Zip Code 93501-1663
    County KERN
    Country UNITED STATES
    Airworthiness
    Engine Manufacturer AMA/EXPR Classification Experimental
    Engine Model UNKNOWN ENG Category Research and Development
    A/W Date 07/01/2003
    Other Owner Names
    None
    Temporary Certificate
    Certificate Number T024366 Issue Date 07/05/2002 Expiration Date 08/04/2002
    Fuel Modifications
    None

    N328KF is Assigned
    Assigned/Registered Aircraft
    Aircraft Description
    Serial Number 001 Type Registration Corporation
    Manufacturer Name SCALED COMPOSITES LLC Certificate Issue Date 03/20/2003
    Model 316 Status Valid
    Type Aircraft Glider Type Engine None
    Pending Number Change None Dealer No
    Date Change Authorized None Mode S Code 50706357
    MFR Year 2003 Fractional Owner NO
    Registered Owner
    Name SCALED COMPOSITES LLC
    Street 1624 FLIGHTLINE HANGAR 78
    City MOJAVE State CALIFORNIA Zip Code 93501
    County KERN
    Country UNITED STATES
    Airworthiness
    Engine Manufacturer NONE Classification Experimental
    Engine Model NONE Category Research and Development
    A/W Date 12/09/2003
    Other Owner Names
    None
    Temporary Certificate
    None
    Fuel Modifications
    None

  • Not the First (Score:5, Informative)

    by DynaSoar ( 714234 ) * on Monday May 24, 2004 @05:01PM (#9242223) Journal
    It remains to be seen whether Mojave will in fact get approved. Either way, Southwest Regional Spaceport near Las Cruces NM had already been announced by Ansari/X-Prize, as the spaceport site chosen for at least an annual X-Prize event, and expecting the X-Prize contenders who (win or lose) continue on and offer services to the public. Plus, according to the articles which may or may not be accurate, Mojave is being considered for horizontal launched craft. SRS is not being restricted to horizontal launch. My money says SRS will become a regular gathering place for the next step in rocketry, those growing out of amateur/hobbyist rocketry ($100 gets you a model that goes Mach 1 and a mile up) and those following hot on the jets of Ky "Rocketman" Michaelson and CSXT's recent first private rocket into space.

  • When do they start taking bids... (Score:2, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward
    ...from companies who want to manage the cantina?

  • Spaceport, Oklahoma (Score:5, Insightful)

    by MrDoh! ( 71235 ) on Monday May 24, 2004 @05:11PM (#9242293) Homepage Journal
    Err, there's already one out there in Oklahoma, called, funnily enough;

    SpacePort, Oklahoma.

    Google it up, there's alot of good info about it, and makes a pretty good site too. Just enough out the way.

  • There's a saying in Spanish... (Score:3, Insightful)

    by kevlar ( 13509 ) on Monday May 24, 2004 @05:12PM (#9242298)
    "A monkey dressed in silk is still a monkey."

    Not to discourage people's efforts for commercial space ventures, but I think that quote is suitable in this case :-P

  • Are there discount rates for long-term parking?... (Score:5, Funny)

    by Sir-Techlot ( 34061 ) on Monday May 24, 2004 @05:13PM (#9242308)
    ... a mission to Mars could be bit pricy for a car owner.
    • I believe the parking is free at Mojave. I've been there a couple of times (by light plane, not by car). Mojave itself is a bit of a dump, but the airport's pretty good.

      I went there to see the XCor unveiling (despite the article, XCor is not in the X-Prize competition). My writeup of the Xcor trip is here [alioth.net] if you are interested.
  • I am the only one worried about spaceport security in this day and age?

    To go through a normal airport I get scanned and they may make me take off my shoes and do a pat down and take an invasive look into my luggage.

    What kind of search will I have to go through to get into SPACE?

    Note: for the humor impaired, this is a joke.

    • What kind of search will I have to go through to get into SPACE?

      This is SOOOO obvious. You will be subjected to a 'wallet search'. The purpose of the wallet search is to 'lighten the load' to the point where it's light enough to actually lift into space. If the wallet search proves successful, then, the rest will be minor formalities. If the wallet search is unsuccessful, boarding will be denied on 'financial security' grounds.

  • A few corrections (Score:5, Informative)

    by jfoust ( 9271 ) on Monday May 24, 2004 @05:39PM (#9242533)
    • The original poster called this the "first-ever private spaceport", but it's not clear this is true, depending on one's definition of private. It is certainly not the first commercial spaceport: FAA/AST has issued commercial spaceport licenses [faa.gov] for years to facilities in Alaska (Kodiak), California (Vandenberg), Florida (Cape Canaveral), and Virginia (Wallops). Mojave, though, would be the first commercial inland licensed spaceport.

    • XCOR Aerospace is not a competitor for the Ansari X Prize [xprize.org].

    • Technically, Scaled does not need a spaceport license to perform its flights from Mojave. (Recall that Scaled already has a launch license [faa.gov] from AST.) As far as the FAA is concerned, SpaceShipOne's launch "site" is the White Knight carrier aircraft, which takes off from Mojave under an experimental airworthiness certificate, as I recall. Thus Scaled does not need to wait for Mojave Airport to get a spaceport license.

  • Ummm... XCOR [xcor.com] is not a competitor for the X-Prize. They are a private organization that is possibly capable of suborbital manned spaceflight, but they are not listed on the list of X-Prize teams [xprize.org].

  • The necessity of privatization (Score:3, Interesting)

    by the_meager ( 686660 ) on Monday May 24, 2004 @05:52PM (#9242623)
    I think we can all agree that privatization is key for /affordable/ civilian spaceflight. However, I sincerely hope that those pursuing privately pursuing spaceflight settle for heavily regulated and subsidized government regulation (control) of "private spaceflight". /We/ will never reach maturity in spaceflight as long as government is involved. Government just waists too much money and is too sluggish and inefficient. Any sort of [government] planning of capital and resources going into private/civilian spaceflight will have a negative effect. If government and NASA would stop with the Mars nonsense and the Impending Asteroid Impact bullcrap and completely privatize space, we'd be much further along --- technologically and financially.

  • XCOR not participating in X-Prize (Score:5, Informative)

    by JCallery ( 87411 ) on Monday May 24, 2004 @06:03PM (#9242692)
    Both Scaled Composites and XCOR Aerospace (the two leading competitors in the X-Prize competition) currently fly out of Mojave Airport.

    Scaled Composites is taking part in the X-Prize competition, but XCOR is not. They are developing their products to break into a market of suborbital payloads and microsatellites, as well as the passenger market (they are currently under contract with Space Adventures [spaceadventures.com] to provide the space travel experience to "adventure travelers" for $98,000 when the technology is ready). You can read more about their goals [xcor.com] on their website.

    The X-Prize website hosts a list [xprize.org] of the teams competing for the X-Prize.

  • Hey Scottie (Score:2, Funny)

    by heybo ( 667563 )

    Boom me up Scottie

    No sign of intelligent life here

    Can I go now?

  • ...before space travel is monopolized, like every [microsoft.com] other [aol.com] bloody [sony.com] field [compaq.com] out [dell.com] there [conagra.com]? It's not a question of "if". It's a question of "when". Monopoly (or quasi-monopoly, e.g. the Coke/Pepsi diopoly) seems to be the new way of doing business.
    • I would hope that it would take on more the flavor of the old time passenger cruise lines of the late 19th & early 20th Centuries. Still, once space travel starts to really emerge, it is going to be a very capital intensive business. Almost all of the capital that Wall Street & other exchanges can dig up is going to help fuel this next economic expansion.

      I predict that over the next 15-25 years you will see Wall Street (especially once the X-Prize has been won) get into space in a major way. You will see the whole dot Bomb thing happen all over again, unfortunately, with fly-by-night companies that do little but promise the Moon (this time in a more litteral fashion). Some companies are going to emerge and become very successful, but many others are going to take a whole lot of money from people and throw it down the drain.

      If the X-Prize team list [xprize.com] is an indication with over 26 different teams listed, once it has been proven to be a practical business you will see many others jump into the business. Companies like Boeing [boeing.com], Airbus [airbus.com], and Thiokol [atk.com] (all companies you seemed to miss) are more than likely going to come in and join the party as well. They all have some sort of rocketry/avaition experience, deep pockets, and an aire of respectability when they start producing spacecraft.

      In this regard it would be more like the P.C. industry, where it started in a bunch of garages and small industrial parks, where several [mac.com] millionaires [woz.org] arose from relatively modest beginnings. In this case we have a few "modest" millionaires who are perhaps going to turn this into billions.

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