SpaceShipOne 100 km Attempt Slated for June 21

Posted by timothy on Wednesday June 2, 2004 @05:00AM from the good-luck-to-the-crew dept.

apsmith writes "Scaled Composites has just announced their first attempt at breaking 100 km, scheduled for June 21. This would make it the first commercial manned vehicle to officially enter space. This is not quite an Ansari X prize attempt since it will carry only one person without the extra mass corresponding to the 3-person prize requirement; they have to give at least 30 days' notice for that. Past flight history is available from their site; the Discovery Channel is producing a documentary on the whole project, 'Rutan's Race For Space.'" Roger_Explosion adds "If successful, the craft - named Space Ship One - will become the world's first commercial manned space vehicle. Space Ship One will temporarily leave the earth's atmosphere, and the pilot (yet to be announced) will experience about three minutes of weightlessness."

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Re:X Prize Claimed on July 4th, 2004? by twostar · 2004-06-02 05:22 · Score: 5, Insightful

Except that they are not carrying the required three passengers on this flight. Depending on the outcome of this flight they will then plan for the Xprize.

This is still experimental flight and they're minimizing personel risks.
Re:I say... by hpulley · 2004-06-02 05:25 · Score: 5, Insightful

Perhaps, although I'm not so sure we should be so happy about corporations owning the space.

We've already seen how the gov't owned it. Just how would "the people" own it instead of the gov't or a corporation?

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$#!^ happens, but why does it always have to happen to me???