X-Prize is currently live on Discovery Science Channel

On 4 Oct 2004 13:18:02 -0700, (bryan chaisone)
wrote:

Roger that Roger. Sorry, couldn't help myself. All excited for
Burt's team. He's got a bunch of great guys working with him. Wish I
was one of them.

People were getting choked up all over the place including the two
watching from our place:-))

To me this was more momentous than the original Mercury flights and
the whole project probably cost less than one of those capsules.

Although most would not consider a $20 million project grass roots it
was exactly that. Carbon fiber and resin lay-ups that were easily
fixable. Think what would have happened in NASA had they broken the
gear off.

The flight of SpaceShipOne is the opening of the door to space flight
for industry and the world in a way that could never be approached by
the governments of the world.

To me it now makes going to the other planets much more of a
possibility but how long before "Protect the Planets" groups emerge?

I say it's a fantastic job well done!

Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com
Bryan "was Monk" Chaisone

Roger Halstead wrote in message . ..
If you get the Discovery Science channel, it's pretty good coverage
with lots of history.

Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com

Roger Halstead wrote...

I say it's a fantastic job well done!

Hear hear!

Dave 'green' Hyde

In article , Roger Halstead says...

Although most would not consider a $20 million project grass roots it
was exactly that. Carbon fiber and resin lay-ups that were easily
fixable. Think what would have happened in NASA had they broken the
gear off.

First there would have to be a board of inquiry and meetings to discuss the gear
breaking .Then a survey would be done to get opinions of why it broke, next the
design teams would come up with a fix .Then Congress would investigate and try
to place blame on somebody. Next Rev Al would show up yelling that the program
is racist because the entire machine is white. Bids would be let out ,a
committee would study the bids,The fiscial division would let a contract and the
gear would be replaced. That is after OSHA ,EPA and the rest inspected the
landing site to check for danger to wildlife. Total time for the project 1 1/2
years. Rutan and crew one week .


The flight of SpaceShipOne is the opening of the door to space flight
for industry and the world in a way that could never be approached by
the governments of the world.

You got that right .When did Government ever do anything better then the private
sector? Perhaps with the exception of wars?


To me it now makes going to the other planets much more of a
possibility but how long before "Protect the Planets" groups emerge?

Don't worry they will if there are tree huggers it won't be long before the
first "planet huggers" show up :-)


I say it's a fantastic job well done!

So say us all!!

Chuck (former NASA geek) S

On 5 Oct 2004 05:21:06 -0700, ChuckSlusarczyk
wrote:

The flight of SpaceShipOne is the opening of the door to space flight
for industry and the world in a way that could never be approached by
the governments of the world.

You got that right .When did Government ever do anything better then the private
sector?

Any operation driven by the desire for knowledge, not profit. SS1 was
different; it was enabled by the personal fortune of Paul Allen, who tends
to spend it on stuff like professional ball teams and goofy-looking
museums.

Jay Leno had a good line about this, last night: "They just won the $10
million X-Prize, but the spacecraft cost them $25 million to build. Guess
there weren't any rocket scientists on that team...." :-)

If space development had depended on the whims of billionaires, space
flight would probably still be a dream. When a billionaire's personal will
is missing, the government is really the only alternative.

My guess is that no spacecraft showed a profit until communications
satellites could be deployed into geosynchronous orbit. And it took a lot
of government-funded development to enable that kind of operation.

The government *is* getting better. They're doing a lot of funding without
demanding the level of oversight they previously had. The Mars Rovers were
an example of this sort of approach.

I taped CNN's post-landing coverage and watched it last night. Dr.
Diamandis is arranging additional money to encourage the other X-prize
entrants to keep going. He says there's going to be a big Fly-Off in
Arizona in 2006; they're going to bring all the contestants together and
spend a week launching their vehicles. THAT'S going to be fun to watch.

Ron Wanttaja

In article , Ron Wanttaja says...

I taped CNN's post-landing coverage and watched it last night. Dr.
Diamandis is arranging additional money to encourage the other X-prize
entrants to keep going. He says there's going to be a big Fly-Off in
Arizona in 2006; they're going to bring all the contestants together and
spend a week launching their vehicles. THAT'S going to be fun to watch.


Now that will be just to cool.Kinda like a giant model airplane contest except
with full size models. Ron how fast do you think we can we come up with
something? :-)

See ya

Chuck S

ChuckSlusarczyk wrote:

In article , Ron Wanttaja says...

I taped CNN's post-landing coverage and watched it last night. Dr.
Diamandis is arranging additional money to encourage the other X-prize
entrants to keep going. He says there's going to be a big Fly-Off in
Arizona in 2006; they're going to bring all the contestants together and
spend a week launching their vehicles. THAT'S going to be fun to watch.


Now that will be just to cool.Kinda like a giant model airplane contest except
with full size models. Ron how fast do you think we can we come up with
something? :-)

See ya

Chuck S


What's on your mind, Chuck?

Junk yard Spaceships?


Richard

In article , Richard Lamb says...

Now that will be just to cool.Kinda like a giant model airplane contest except
with full size models. Ron how fast do you think we can we come up with
something? :-)

See ya

Chuck S


What's on your mind, Chuck?

Junk yard Spaceships?

Heh Heh heh you read my mind, except this time the winner gets cash :-)They
could turn us loose in an old NASA dump and see what we could come up with.

See ya

Chuck (Miami gearhead) S

NASA dump......hmmmmm......How big of an airplane can you build out of old
PowerPoint charts? So is this kinda along the lines of those contest where
they build boats out of cardboard?

"ChuckSlusarczyk" wrote in message
...
Heh Heh heh you read my mind, except this time the winner gets cash
:-)They
could turn us loose in an old NASA dump and see what we could come up
with.

On 5 Oct 2004 16:51:43 -0700, ChuckSlusarczyk
wrote:

In article , Ron Wanttaja says...

I taped CNN's post-landing coverage and watched it last night. Dr.
Diamandis is arranging additional money to encourage the other X-prize
entrants to keep going. He says there's going to be a big Fly-Off in
Arizona in 2006; they're going to bring all the contestants together and
spend a week launching their vehicles. THAT'S going to be fun to watch.


Now that will be just to cool.Kinda like a giant model airplane contest except
with full size models. Ron how fast do you think we can we come up with
something? :-)

Depends on how much I can smuggle away from work under my coat. :-)

Ron Wanttaja

In article , Ron Wanttaja says...
Now that will be just to cool.Kinda like a giant model airplane contest except
with full size models. Ron how fast do you think we can we come up with
something? :-)

Depends on how much I can smuggle away from work under my coat. :-)


I got some big coats :-)

Chuck S