The Step-By-Step DIY Approach To The X-Prize

HobbySpacer writes "According to this article, John Carmack's Armadillo Aerospace team is making steady progress towards a X PRIZE rocket vehicle. Playing the tortoise to Burt Rutan's hare , the Texas team just might win the race to 100km altitude. At least if some of the other teams don't get there first."

Comments

NASA/ESA are just not the right guys

[the man with the pla]

It always makes me laugh when I see this comment about letting the private sector take over space exploration.

How would you feel if for the sake of arguement the eventual winner of the X-Prize were to become the MS of space exploration, with almost total control over who does what in space. The private sector is not about bettering mankind, its about profit and many private sector companies are not averse to using very dubious, and in many cases downright criminal methods to achieve their aims. Suppose they discover valuable caches of materials. Do you think they are going to share them with the rest of the world or make us pay thru the nose ? What will the visa requirements be for landing on Planet Microsoft I wonder ? Suppose you are vacationing on Mars and disaster strikes, what do you reckon the odds would be the highest bidders get the first seats off the planet.

In typical fashion the private sector will not become a serious player in space travel until NASA and the other space agencies have made serious reductions in the cost of entry with lots of tax payer research dollars. The private sector will then demand access and want to cherry pick the most lucrative aspects. Remember, there was a time when Bill Gates was an entreprenuer.

Re:NASA/ESA are just not the right guys

[Anonymous Coward]

See the first comment on advances made by the private sector.

And as for a 'Microsoft' in space, that will never be allowed to exist. There's a big difference between space and software - mainly, space is *space*. That is, area to be controlled. Planets and asteroids, which are veritable land to be dominated over and taxed.

Look at the New World. The private sector made the journeys, but the flags they flew were that of England, Spain, Portagal and a few others. And those nations wisely stepped in and prevented private monopolies.. Because anyone with land (or space) and accompanying resources (which, if you believe asteroid mining/farms on the moon theories) can easily become a nation, and thus, a threat.

The idea of privatizing space exploration is a good one. If private jokers start creating moon bases, governments will have no choice but to follow suit. And governments are in a very good position to do that - all it takes is a simple declaration of 'National Security!' and a corporation's monopoly on launch/flight/etc. vehicles is no longer a monopoly.

Re:NASA/ESA are just not the right guys

[adeyadey]

Well you can take normal air-flight as an example. The Military (Air force) did a lot to improve designs, but it took private companies and innovators to open up the skys to all. Sure there are problems - regulatory bodies have to ensure fair trade practices, but its still better than none at all.

It could be the same with space - and Cheap Access To Space (CATS) is a critical step for so many other things we want to do up there, manned and unmanned. At the moment it costs way too much to shift payload into LEO - the Shuttle isnt even flying - $3 billion/year for 0 payload - and I am not convinced that NASA/Shuttle-2 will give us true CATS either.

The US should stop wasting money on the Shuttle tomorrow - graceful retire the old hardware & put in in a museum with other 60's/70's vintage hardware. NASA could then build a simple Soyuz type capsule to fit on one of the best available/reliable commercial rockets for now, and set up X-Prize style competitions to generate true cheap re-usable vehicles.

Did I miss it or....

[Y-Crate]

Did the article totally ignore the whole "the X-Prize contenders must repeat their success within 2 weeks by using the same vehicle?" aspect, which in my opinion isn't exactly a minor point.

A one-off launch is one thing, but to return the craft to service within 14 days is something else entirely.

Private vs Public sector innovations

[Avihson]

Not trying to nitpick, but how many truly positive monumental advances in the human condition were made by a government entity? Mass production? The Industrial Revolution? The cure for Polio?

To paraphrase the parent post:

The Government sector is not about bettering mankind, its about power and many public sector bureaucrats are not averse to using very dubious, and in many cases downright criminal methods to achieve their aims.

A benevolent Gov't may sponser and fund the private sector if the advances are in the interest of the Gov't. Remember that just 100 years ago, every government on this earth knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that Horseless carriages and the Aeroplane were nothing more than rich man's toys. The Railroad was all that was needed to tame the wild frontiers, and even that was private enterprise.

Re:Private vs Public sector innovations

[shocking]

Not trying to nitpick, but how many truly positive monumental advances in the human condition were made by a government entity? Mass production? The Industrial Revolution? The cure for Polio?

Well, the Internet (via DARPA) for one ....

Re:Private vs Public sector innovations

[koreth]

The Internet? Universal postal service? Free education? Eradication of smallpox? Abolition of slavery? Going to space and landing on the moon? Weather satellites? Transcontinental highway systems? The banning of "whites-only" shops and restaurants and schools?

Nope, nothing valuable there, you're right. Because everyone knows that they don't let you apply for even the lowliest government job without passing the Power-Hungry Would-Be Dictator Test. All the altruists in the world are forced to sit in corporate boardrooms, while our most sinful megalomaniacs cackle with glee on the way to their jobs running county homeless shelters.

Rutan the Hare?

[LWATCDR]

I find it odd to call Rutan the Hare? He has designed many airplanes over the years from small but very cool homebuilts: the VariEze, Long Eze, and the Quickie. He got out of that because of the lawyers. He also built the first plane to fly non-stop around the world with out refueling. He is without a doubt very good at what he does, make flying machines. Rutan has already built stuff that flys into space. Look on his page www.scaled.com they help design and build the Pegasus. I am sure that John Carmack himself does not think that Rutan is rushing his program unwisely. My money is on the Rutan team. If they can get the stability issues solved quickly they have a good chance to win. No matter what they will have a good craft that can do the job.