Diamandis Predicts X-Prize Winner Within One Year

drix writes "Things are moving along for the X-Prize. The FAA is currently in the process of approving a launch site for competitors, several of which are set to launch "within the next few months." Perhaps most exciting, Peter Diamandis says he expects a winner within one year."

Comments

Re:Do they just have to reach outer space

[BDew]

They have to complete a suborbital flight (100 km IIRC), and then turn around and do it again with the same spacecraft within 2 weeks.

Re:Do they just have to reach outer space

[_Upsilon_]

Or do they have to come down as well?

From the article:
The X Prize contest calls for launching a manned craft to 62 miles (100 kilometers), generally considered the cusp of space, and returning it safely to Earth. And then doing it again within 14 days.

So it does have to come down, and then go back up, and back down again... safely.

Scaled Composites seems to be very close

[johnjay]

Although I'm rooting for Armadillo Aerospace, I visited the Scaled Composites website a few days ago. They seem to be very close to a successful launch. They've been doing all sorts of drop/glide tests of their spaceship, and they've seen a lot of success with those tests. Their crazy shuttle-cock decent seems to work fine. (This is especially amusing after all of the slashdot posts about how a winged successor to the space shuttle is the worst idea ever.) Also, they outsourced their engine construction which, seeing the kind of trouble Armadillo is having with their engines, might turn out to be a winning strategy.

Re:I predict something else...

[WolfWithoutAClause]

The real problems will start at 50000 feet up when SS1 is dropped from the WK and ignites it's engine.

No, not really, it's a hybrid engine he's chosen. They're generally reckoned to be much simpler and far safer than the solid rockets that the Shuttle uses; even amateurs fairly regularly build them, and with generally good results. Provided he can keep it pointing in the right direction he should be fine.

A little Canadianism. ^_^

[MarvinMouse]

I know this is out of character for a Canadian, but I do have to say I have a soft spot for the Canadian Arrow project. http://www.canadianarrow.com

I have been following it closely, and all of their tests have been reasonably successful, they have their astronaut team now, and they are almost done training. They've finished engine testing, and are even preparing for secondary business ventures when the project is complete (read "spacediving" on their page.)

So currently now, I am just waiting for them to do their launch (which if I remember correctly from the latest clip of them on "Daily Planet" they were saying was going to be early to mid 2004, barring no complications.

The Da Vinci project looks good as well, but I just haven't paid that much attention to it.

Oh well, no matter what happens, hopefully this will get the publics attention, and these companies will continue development further into even more spaceworthy vehicles (ie orbital, etc.) with the money they make from tourism (Assuming they make money. ^_^)

succesful drop tests

[photonic]

The mission log of Scaled Composites says they already did two succesful drop tests with the SpaceShipOne!

The video cameras mounted on the spaceship recorded dramatic views particularly during the unique feather maneuver. Observers in the chase Starship were treated to a closeup bizarre view of the spaceship plunging downward in a rock-stable near vertical feathered descent. First public showings of these videos will be on 26 September at the annual SETP symposium in Los Angeles

Anybody knows where to find those movies?