Space Ship One Launch

Just got back from Mojave (about 150 mi away, roughly) and the first
suborbital flight of Spaceshipone. Somebody needs to do a 1/32 scale resin
of that baby- it's fairly small. Got to see my first Alpha Jet, too. They
are using an ex-Luftwaffe one as a camera ship for Discovery channel. The
carrier plane, White Knight, looks like a P-38 on hallucinogens. Totally
cool. Also along were an Extra 300 and a Beech Starship as chase planes.

The mated WK/SS1 took off and did circles around the area to get altitude
for about 50 minutes before drop. We were able to see them for quite a while
thanks to contrails. Just before drop the pair came at us from out of the
ease, just below the rising sun. We could see the smoke trail from the
rocket engine heading apparently straight up next to the sun and then at
burnout, the tiny spacecraft was lost to view. The local radio station was
broadcasting the radio from the tower, so we could hear when Mike Melville
was making position and altitude callouts. As the ship descended, we could
see the chase ships converging on his position. The formation circled the
field as they descended for landing. On the last turn round, the ship lined
up on the runway and touched down just north of our viewing area.

People were going nuts yelling and cheering when the rocket ignited and you
could see the trail shooting straight up out of the sun. When the sonic boom
filtered down to us there was a wave of cheering from the approximately
50,000 on hand. Now I know how it felt to watch Yeager or Shepard or Glenn.
On the way home, I also realized that that was the first time in my life I
had seen a formation of all four ways (yes, I know I'm forgetting electric,
but don't spoil the poetry of the moment) to power an aircraft- rocket, jet,
turboprop, and piston. Totally unforgettable.


--
Jim Atkins
Twentynine Palms, CA USA

Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend.
Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read.
-Groucho Marx

Nice write up. A correction: Not Glenn and Shephard.

Scott Crossfield, Joe Walker, Bob White, Joe Engle, Neil Armstrong, Pete
Knight, Bill Dana, Milt Thompson, Mike Adams, Pete Peterson, Jack Knight,
Bob Rushworth in 199 flights of the X-15.

While Glenn and Shephard are plenty brave men for their rocket rides, that
old man today (63 and as old as my older brother) brought it in and landed
by hand using his eyes and brains to put it on the numbers.

It was a wonder to behold. Next time, though, I want to see if fromt he side
instead of looking straight up so I can get a sense of the trajectory.

Glenn and Shepard in the sense of seeing a real first- not to take away from
the X-15 guys- in my opinion Crossfield deserved a Medal of Freedom just for
staying cool during that engine test that blew the back half of the vehicle
to shreds. Did you hear that Pete Knight just passed away? He was a
legislator in Sacramento.

--
Jim Atkins
Twentynine Palms, CA USA

Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend.
Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read.
-Groucho Marx

"Jim Atkins" wrote in message
...
Glenn and Shepard in the sense of seeing a real first-

Let's not forget Yuri in there.

Pete

"Pete" wrote in message
...

Let's not forget Yuri in there.


Are you sure Gagarin was first?

"Steven P. McNicoll" wrote in message
ink.net...

"Pete" wrote in message
...

Let's not forget Yuri in there.


Are you sure Gagarin was first?

True. But we may never know for sure if there was another.

Pete

"Pete" wrote in message
...

True. But we may never know for sure if there was another.


Agreed. I read a very plausible article some time ago which suggested
Gagarin was third.

"Pete" wrote in message
...

"Jim Atkins" wrote in message
...
Glenn and Shepard in the sense of seeing a real first-

Let's not forget Yuri in there.

And don't forget Leika, who probably had as much
say in the matter as Yuri. Even though she had twice
the number of legs, she had only a one-way ticket poor
thing.

"Jim Atkins" wrote in message
...

Glenn and Shepard in the sense of seeing a real first-


Neither achieved a real first.

I noted from the TV news reports that Mr. Melville was wearing only a
flight suit and an oxygen mask (no full or partial pressure suit).
Does anyone know whether the cockpit was pressurized? If not (and even
if so) this was pretty risky.

Jim Thomas

While Glenn and Shephard are plenty brave men for their rocket rides, that
old man today (63 and as old as my older brother) brought it in and landed
by hand using his eyes and brains to put it on the numbers.

It was a wonder to behold. Next time, though, I want to see if fromt he side
instead of looking straight up so I can get a sense of the trajectory.