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X Prize Launch At Mojave Spaceport [updated: success!]
knovis writes "The Ansari X Prize is being attempted at this moment: 9:30am EST. Bert Rutan and Paul Allen's Scaled Composites is preparing to make the first of 2 launches necessary. For the uninitiated, the X-Prize is a $10M prize available to the first entirely privately funded organization that creates a vehicle that travels to 100km above the earth's surface (low earth orbit) twice within 2 weeks. IIRC, SpaceShipOne is planning 3 flights for that 2 week period, for safety. Best of luck to Private Spaceflight. Did anyone else notice that Virgin Galactic has just been launched?"
Project Zen writes "MSNBC has an article about how the seats won't be filled with people but mementos of the crew." Several readers sent links to CNN's story on the flight, and space.com's continuing coverage, including by webcam; NASA TV also has an eye on the launch. (Watch this space for updates.) Update: 09/29 15:57 GMT by T : Disconnect writes "As reported all over, SpaceShipOne successfully flew its first X-Prize flight attempt. As of now (11:45:40EST) the officials have not cleared the flight as successful, but it's looking good."
Although I am unable to conceive of the type of spacefaring mishap which could result in a mere broken leg...
I jest, but good luck.
Blearf. Blearf, I say.
until it got /.'ed to hell. What sort of story will we tell our grandchildren?
"Yeah... I remember when the first commercial space launch occured. I was sitting in front of an idle browser window..."
What is music when you despise all sound?
OMG... did I just slashdot the webcast I was watching?
Bad Coz, bad Coz...
I love vegetarians - some of my favorite foods are vegetarians.
Ah, CNN said it was "delayed." Granted CNN also had a woman report asking if there was some kind of rocket required to get it to space. It was just discussed but another reporter, it almost appears as though half the people at CNN don't have the faintest idea as to what's really going on.
Kyle
http://www.unlogikal.net/
Don't confuse the issue with your "facts"
Linux - Because Mommy taught me to Share.
That is normal, don't worry about it.
It's not a lie. It's the truth with lossy compression.
when asked how the altitiude of 100k+ was verified to the satisfaction od the x-prize organisers, the commentator replied "It's not rocket science".
A pizza of radius z and thickness a has a volume of pi z z a
was a real "screw up" eh??
Either way, it worked. The spacecraft has landed successfully.
Kinetic stupidity has a new brand leader: Allen Zadr.
X-Price goes the way of Nascar. http://www.nascar.com/