"First private-sector spaceship rockets into history"

[Mike]

First private-sector spaceship rockets into history
A rocket plane flown by a 62-year-old pilot soared more than 62 miles
above Earth yesterday before gliding back safely to a runway in
California's Mojave Desert in the first privately financed manned
spaceflight.
at http://www.washtimes.com/national/20040621-115847-7577r.htm

so, what's next? The S-1 to S-22 aircraft(S for Space) to the moon?

[W. D. Allen Sr.]

What's next is probably the need to go to 500,000 or more feet altitude,
which is the threshold for orbital flight. A trajectory with apogee below
that height is suborbital.

The biggest problem is probably going to be not getting up there but coming
down. There were all kinds of arcane problems for safe reentry including
still some degree of engineering black magic. ICBMs typically reached about
23,000 feet/second burnout velocity. But about 26,000 f/s is needed to reach
low earth orbit. Plus, a final kick velocity change is also needed to get
into the orbital trajectory after the rocket engine boost phases. All that
velocity then has to be burned off during reentry to arrive at a landing
speed of about 250 f/s over the runway. That velocity burn-off is what
destroyed the shuttle in February 2003 when it disintegrated during reentry
because of the loss of heat protection foam pads during boost phase.

I'm looking forward to seeing Rutan showing NASA how to reach space and
return without squandering the entire national treasury! NASA has a monopoly
on space fight long enough. It's time the civilian world had a shot at space
flight!

WDA

end



"Mike" > wrote in message
m...
> First private-sector spaceship rockets into history
> A rocket plane flown by a 62-year-old pilot soared more than 62 miles
> above Earth yesterday before gliding back safely to a runway in
> California's Mojave Desert in the first privately financed manned
> spaceflight.
> at http://www.washtimes.com/national/20040621-115847-7577r.htm
>
> so, what's next? The S-1 to S-22 aircraft(S for Space) to the moon?

[Regnirps]

The "expert consultant" on the tube and radio keeps saying that this is the
first private rocket. Never heard of Goddard or Evil Kneivel? Or even the
rocket club when i was a kid. We made some mighty dangerous flying bombs.

Also that they reached "orbital altitudes" making the next step orbiting and
flying to the space station or Moon. Uhm, yeah. It only has to go six times
faster without burning up.

-- Charlie Springer

[Jim Yanik]

(Regnirps) wrote in
:

> The "expert consultant" on the tube and radio keeps saying that this
> is the first private rocket. Never heard of Goddard or Evil Kneivel?
> Or even the rocket club when i was a kid. We made some mighty
> dangerous flying bombs.
>
> Also that they reached "orbital altitudes" making the next step
> orbiting and flying to the space station or Moon. Uhm, yeah. It only
> has to go six times faster without burning up.
>
> -- Charlie Springer
>

Private COMMERCIAL rocket,and one that carries passengers.
Your examples were not commercial rockets,and neither carried passengers.

And one has to take baby steps before walking or running.

--
Jim Yanik
jyanik-at-kua.net

[Chad Irby]

In article >,
Jim Yanik > wrote:

> (Regnirps) wrote in
> :
>
> > The "expert consultant" on the tube and radio keeps saying that this
> > is the first private rocket. Never heard of Goddard or Evil Kneivel?
> > Or even the rocket club when i was a kid. We made some mighty
> > dangerous flying bombs.
>
> Private COMMERCIAL rocket,

Not really.

For example:

<http://tinyurl.com/2g2jg>

> and one that carries passengers.

Well, that's a good point.

--
cirby at cfl.rr.com

Remember: Objects in rearview mirror may be hallucinations.
Slam on brakes accordingly.

[Regnirps]

Jim Yanik wrote:

(Regnirps) wrote in

>> The "expert consultant" on the tube and radio keeps saying that this
>> is the first private rocket. Never heard of Goddard or Evil Kneivel?
>> Or even the rocket club when i was a kid. We made some mighty
>> dangerous flying bombs.

>> Also that they reached "orbital altitudes" making the next step
>> orbiting and flying to the space station or Moon. Uhm, yeah. It only
>> has to go six times faster without burning up.

>Private COMMERCIAL rocket,and one that carries passengers.
>Your examples were not commercial rockets,and neither carried passengers.

Look, I think they have done a fantastic job. But I was quoting an "expert" on
TV. He didn't say commercial. In fact I never heard the word used in any of the
news reports. They are a very dull bunch more interested in face time than
facts.

>And one has to take baby steps before walking or running.

Of course, except according to the "expert consultants" who gave the strong
impression that all they have to do after they reach "orbital altitude" is
decide to stay there.

-- Charlie Springer

[Jim Yanik]

(Regnirps) wrote in
:

> Jim Yanik wrote:
>
(Regnirps) wrote in
>
>>> The "expert consultant" on the tube and radio keeps saying that this
>>> is the first private rocket. Never heard of Goddard or Evil Kneivel?
>>> Or even the rocket club when i was a kid. We made some mighty
>>> dangerous flying bombs.
>
>>> Also that they reached "orbital altitudes" making the next step
>>> orbiting and flying to the space station or Moon. Uhm, yeah. It only
>>> has to go six times faster without burning up.
>
>>Private COMMERCIAL rocket,and one that carries passengers.
>>Your examples were not commercial rockets,and neither carried
>>passengers.
>
> Look, I think they have done a fantastic job. But I was quoting an
> "expert" on TV. He didn't say commercial. In fact I never heard the
> word used in any of the news reports. They are a very dull bunch more
> interested in face time than facts.
>
>>And one has to take baby steps before walking or running.
>
> Of course, except according to the "expert consultants" who gave the
> strong impression that all they have to do after they reach "orbital
> altitude" is decide to stay there.
>
> -- Charlie Springer
>
>

Well,truly,the FIRST "private rocket" then would belong to some anonymous
Chinese fellow.
If you're talking about reaching into SPACE(62 mi or higher),did Goddard's
or Knievel's rockets go that high? And were recovered intact?


I'm not sure if any amateur rockets have made it to 62 miles alt.
yet,either.

--
Jim Yanik
jyanik-at-kua.net

[Steve Hix]

In article >,
Jim Yanik > wrote:

> I'm not sure if any amateur rockets have made it to 62 miles alt.
> yet,either.

One managed the job a couple months back. IIRC, it was fired from a site
in Nevada. Lessee...

The CSXT rocket flew from Nevada's Black Rock Desert on May 17th, 2004.
The 21-foot rocket reached an altitude of 77 miles.

http://www.civilianspace.com/

http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/csxt_success_040518.html

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3724841.stm

http://www10.mcadcafe.com/nbc/articles/view_article.php?section=CorpNews&
articleid=127292