Starchaser Rocket Capsule Drop Tests Successful

thaig writes "Starchaser Industries reports that their NOVA 2 rocket capsule has completed two manned drop-tests from an altitude of 10,000 feet. The capsule was put through a number of manoeuvres during its descent to fully validate the steerable ram-air parachute canopy that made it possible to fly the craft like a glider. Starchaser Industries' Thunderbird project is a contender for the $10 million X-PRIZE. Here's the earlier story."

Comments

Informative? What the fuck?

[Anonymous Coward]

Please, next time check the link before you moderate.

Details

[pete-classic]

Anyone know how they plan to slow it from orbital speed to a speed where they and safely deploy the 'chute?

This would seem to be the second hardest part. (Hardest being geting the thing orbial in the first place.)

-Peter

looming disaster?

[fihzy]

I think it's one thing for a little team to build a narrow electric car where the government spent billions and failed, but another entirely to do sub orbital flights where the resources of NASA are still not enough to prevent tragedies like the shuttle accidents. Serious life loss is surely imminent, but the most ironic thing of all is that even if some people do make it up and down again, it can surely never lead to actual orbital flights as the engineering and physics problems associated with getting in an out of the atmosphere really do need astronomical resources to solve?

Being from the little town where Bennet is from

Re:looming disaster?

[thaig]

You can't say that its

• a) too unambitious because it's suborbital and
• b) too difficult for anyone to attempt even 41 years after Gargarin went up in his big firework

at the same time. Which argument are you going to choose?