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Rutan's SpaceshipOne Hits 200,000 Feet
An anonymous reader writes "Burt Rutan's privately-built SpaceshipOne is one step closer to winning the X-Prize after zooming to what witnesses say was somewhere around 200,000 feet on only its third powered flight. (See also the partial update from Scaled Composites.)"
zooming to what witnesses say was somewhere around 200,000 feet...
Can you even see Spaceship 1 at 200,000? If I recall, the engine cuts off and Spaceship 1 coasts up the rest of the way, so there is no trail to follow.
Isn't the goal 62.5 miles... that's about 330,000 feet.
They're getting awfully close. I get the distinct feeling this one is going to win it very soon.
I really, really want some videos of this or any other of SS1's test flights. Does anybody know if such things are out there to be downloaded?
Mod down posts with a "Free Mac Mini/iPod" sig, they're spam!
It takes the Shuttle to so long to relaunch because the entire craft needs to be recertified before relaunch. That is because the design has virtually no margin, so under normal operating conditions there are components that are on the verge of failure. These components must all be inspected and potentially replaced before another flight can occur. A small, reasonably designed vehicle should be able to hit a two week turn around no problem. DARPA's RASCAL and FALCON programs require a 24-hour turnaround.
How is John Carmack progressing with Armadillo Aerospace? The only major flights I keep hearing about are Rutan's.
Personally I've been rooting for Carmack, but thats probably because I've just been a long fan of all of his work..
Have to launch under it's own power (meaning the whole ship is reuseable)? Or is it ok if it uses external breakaway parts like the Shuttle?
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How can you have any pudding if you don't eat your meat?
I can't remember if he was involved in XPrize or not, but there was a guy building a ship that used peroxide as his propellant. He was most definitely a back yard builder, he had his two huge tanks for his H202 in his garage. Does anyone remember who he was, or have a link to him? I was really interested in his project a while ago, but I've lost his url.
Th
I presume that this is just coincidence, but it turns out that 41 miles is also the altitude for first-stage separation for Saturn V rockets going to the moon)
See the section How Apollo Got to The Moon.
Free Software: Like love, it grows best when given away.
No, LEO starts at around 200 miles (above 300 km). And the altitude is only half the trick to orbit, the other is speed...
Since we're being so precise you mean geocentric position and velocity. There are infinitely many orbits both, circular and ellipical, for arbitrary altitude and speed.
an ill wind that blows no good
The fact that they're staying suborbital is the big difference. Still, any time you're messing with powerful rockets and huge aerodynamic stresses, it's best to take your time and check things out.
As for the claim that improvements in technology since the time the shuttle was designed have reduced processing time... well, I'm not so sure about that. I only deal with unmanned expendable vehicles, but there is a LOT that goes into getting them ready for launch. Of course, a large part of that is administrative stuff. I've heard that it takes 2 million signatures to get the shuttle off the ground, and I believe it.
SpaceshipOne may not have so much of that to worry about now, but don't worry... the bureaucrats will catch up eventually.
Actually, the way I heard it, altitude is only 1/25 the trick to orbit. The other 24/25 is speed.
Mostly right. If you just put an object 500 miles above the Earthing, it'll start falling. To achieve orbit, you have to have enough velocity perpendicular to the pull of gravity that you move away from the planet as fast as you're falling.
Les Miserables Volume 1 now up with my reading of
A most interesting titbit in that article that I don't see anyone else has mentioned is that they've applied for a licence to allow Mojave airport to also become an inland commercial spaceport.
;)
Like an airport.. but FOR SPACE! Wow!
This is amazingly cool news and almost could be straight out of the pages of a science fiction book. Perhaps in a few years it will be major center for space traffic and commerce?
Here's an idea on re-entry:
Thrust up and away from your current vector. If you can reduce your angular velocity with minimal encounter of atmosphere during the process, you can reduce your dependence on heat shielding.
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