Posts: 42986
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 12-17-2003 02:53 PM               

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From: http://www.scaled.com/projects/tierone/New_Index/news/121703.htm

Our White Knight turbojet launch aircraft, flown by Test Pilot Peter Siebold, carried research rocket plane SpaceShipOne to 48,000 feet altitude, near the desert town of California City. At 8:15 a.m. PDT, Cory Bird, the White Knight Flight Engineer, pulled a handle to release SpaceShipOne. SpaceShipOne Test Pilot, Brian Binnie then flew the ship to a stable, 0.55 mach gliding flight condition, started a pull-up, and fired its hybrid rocket motor. Nine seconds later, SpaceShipOne broke the sound barrier and continued its steep powered ascent. The climb was very aggressive, accelerating forward at more than 3-g while pulling upward at more than 2.5-g. At motor shutdown, 15 seconds after ignition, SpaceShipOne was climbing at a 60-degree angle and flying near 1.2 Mach (930 mph). Brian then continued the maneuver to a vertical climb, achieving zero speed at an altitude of 68,000 feet. He then configured the ship in its high-drag "feathered" shape to simulate the condition it will experience when it enters the atmosphere after a space flight. At apogee, SpaceShipOne was in near-weightless conditions, emulating the characteristics it will later encounter during the planned space flights in which it will be at zero-g for more than three minutes. After descending in feathered flight for about a minute, Brian reconfigured the ship to its conventional glider shape and flew a 12-minute glide to landing at Scaled's home airport of Mojave. The landing was not without incident as the left landing gear retracted at touchdown causing the ship to veer to the left and leave the runway with its left wing down. Damage from the landing incident was minor and will easily be repaired. There were no injuries.

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Posts: 2331
From: Sturgeon Bay, WI
Registered: Jan 2000

posted 12-18-2003 03:49 PM               

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I think we all know who the X-Prize is going to. They better start polishing that up for the Rutan group!

Tom

Posts: 42986
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 12-18-2003 03:52 PM               

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Tom, I wouldn't count your chickens before they have launched. While I agree that Scaled's SpaceShipOne has taken a giant leap forward, there are at least two other companies with less public fronts that could give Rutan and company a run for the money. The X-Prize may really see the new space RACE they predicted.

[This message has been edited by Robert Pearlman (edited December 18, 2003).]

Posts: 2331
From: Sturgeon Bay, WI
Registered: Jan 2000

posted 12-18-2003 06:37 PM               

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True, maybe the Rutan group has just been the most visible of the contenders. What are the other groups that are at about the same place in development as they are?

T.

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