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X-prize Award paid

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the faster-than-most-ebay-bidders dept.

daveywest writes "According to the AP, "SpaceShipOne designer Burt Rutan accepted the Ansari X Prize money, along with a 150-pound trophy, as a chase plane flew over the ceremony in a field adjacent to the St. Louis Science Center.""

97 comments

  1. How long... by Ckwop · · Score: 2, Interesting

    until he's got the proposed orbital prize? I bet 2010.

    Simon.

    1. Re:How long... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

      2nd post!
      mod me down!

  2. Next task by pete_norm · · Score: 4, Funny

    Make the thing fly with the trophy in it...

    1. Re:Next task by HaloZero · · Score: 1

      If only SpaceShipOne had a hood ornament...

      Holy crap, wouldn't that be gaudy...

      --
      Informatus Technologicus
    2. Re:Next task by SEWilco · · Score: 1
      Gaudy?

      This trophy is so gaudy that it requires a chase plane. Does the thing fly on its own?

      Or does the check bounce so high that it was the check which required a chase plane?

    3. Re:Next task by metlin · · Score: 2, Funny


      Dude!! There are _way_ better uses for the money.

      Two chicks, same time, baby ;)

    4. Re:Next task by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      ...ten times.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    5. Re:Next task by metlin · · Score: 1

      ...back to back.

  3. hey, nice check! by muntumbomoklik · · Score: 5, Funny

    Was it one of those big checks? I always wondered how you're supposed to get them in the tiny deposit envelopes.

    1. Re:hey, nice check! by Average_Joe_Sixpack · · Score: 5, Funny

      I heard it was paid in cash using several money sacks, each marked with a big green '$' sign.

    2. Re:hey, nice check! by Ayaress · · Score: 3, Informative

      I got one of those giant checks for about $10 once from a sweepsakes that I might have won $100,000 in, but didn't really read all the fine print so I'm not sure exactly. The giant check isn't the real check - they don't have any of the markings on the back, and they even say, "NON NEGOTIABLE" in non-giant print at the bottom. You get to keep that one, and buy a giant picture frame in and hang it on the wall or something. They give you a real, normal-size check to cash.

    3. Re:hey, nice check! by jacksonj04 · · Score: 0

      Actually, if the big cheque is signed and says the same things as the little cheque, it's still a legally binding document. You can write a cheque on the back of an envelope if you want.

      --
      How many people can read hex if only you and dead people can read hex?
    4. Re:hey, nice check! by DeathByDuke · · Score: 1, Funny

      you fold it about 1024 times. Then it should fit in the envelope. Wouldn't want to be the clerk opening it though...

    5. Re:hey, nice check! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Here is a picture of the presentation.

    6. Re:hey, nice check! by roman_mir · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Well, I worked for Symcor Inc for 3 years, and I can tell you that I went on tours into the check processing facilities and there are items there that pass as checks that are FAR more bizarre than just gigantic checks. ANYTHING with an account number written on it, a 'To' field, an amount and a signature qualifies as a check. I mean, thay had a bra (yes, a part of a female warderope that an average /.'er wouldn't be familiar with and most normal men wouldn't know how to handle on any first attempt) signed and it was accepted as a check.

      --
      You can't handle the truth.
    7. Re:hey, nice check! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Any other interesting things you found? And how do you verify the authenticity of checks written on things like that? Don't real checks have loads of security features?

    8. Re:hey, nice check! by 224036583-1 · · Score: 1

      non negotiable just means non negotiable. not that the cheque is invalid.

    9. Re:hey, nice check! by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      So do bras. Real checks basically have security features so you can't change them into something else, for example make a five dollar check into a five thousand dollar check by altering it. It would probably be pretty hard to alter a check consisting of a bra inscribed (engraved?) with a magic marker.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    10. Re:hey, nice check! by bluFox · · Score: 1
      I bet you that you [assuming that you are human] cant fold in half any piece of paper more than 10 times.

      Go on, try it,.... :)

      --
      ~561
    11. Re:hey, nice check! by Ayaress · · Score: 1

      I've never seen a giant check with an account number on it. Mine just had 000 00000 000, which is the same thing they put on the sample checks they give you at the bank.

  4. Ummm... news? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    No offense, but this was news like, yesterday.

    Thanks slashdork, CNN of all people beat you by a good 30 hours.

  5. The next big prize by pchan- · · Score: 5, Funny

    After the Ansari X-Prize, the next big prize to watch is the Ralph Kramden Prize.

    One of these days, Alice... to the moon!

  6. Money by Paster+Of+Muppets · · Score: 5, Interesting

    As for the $10m prize, how is it all going to be split? I assume Rutan won't get to keep all of it?

    --
    Due to lack of disk space this user has been discontinued
    1. Re:Money by Sinus0idal · · Score: 1

      Well since the prize was $10m and the spaceship team borrowed $20m to build it, I expect a large proportion will go back to Paul Allen.. unless he is feeling kind hearted?

    2. Re:Money by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      ... and since Paul Allen is one of the Ansari sponsors, it's all symbolic anyway. Except of course, Paul gets a big ass tax break.

    3. Re:Money by Average_Joe_Sixpack · · Score: 1

      50% Burt Rutan 50% IRS

  7. Congrats to St. Louis, Diamandis and Ansaris by Baldrson · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The folks who made this prize award real, the folks at the St. Louis Science Center, the leadership of St. Louis, Peter Diamandis and the Ansaris are real heroes in this. They deserve as much recognition as Rutan's team.

    --
    Seastead this.
    1. Re:Congrats to St. Louis, Diamandis and Ansaris by mrcdeckard · · Score: 1

      i had no idea this contest was coming out of saint louis untill i read this /. story. who knew?

      cheers,
      chris deckard
      saint louis, moe

      --
      "Physics is like sex. Sure, it may give some practical results, but that's not why we do it." - R. Feynman
  8. It's well deserved by qwave54 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    He accomplished what the X-Prize was meant for. All criticisms aside, he won the prize fair and square. I hope his team makes good use of their design in the future.

  9. This Great News by Space_Soldier · · Score: 5, Interesting

    This is great news. However, we all know that the X-Prize works based on donations. I hope that they still have money for daily operations and for future pricez. The X-CUP will require a lot more money than the X-Prize. However, I'm sure that corporations will turn the white space crafts into race cars (full with ads), which should pay for most of the expenses. The SpaceShipOne has the Virgin logo on it.

    1. Re:This Great News by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      X Cup?? Jezus Im only a DOUBLE A cup in a male sports bra!

    2. Re:This Great News by Joe5678 · · Score: 1

      However, we all know that the X-Prize works based on donations.

      This is true only if you replace "donations" with "insurance money"

  10. This calls for a Z-snap! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    Maybe you should have submitted the story yourself. Like, yesterday, you fucking whiny cunt.

    1. Re:This calls for a Z-snap! by Troll-a-holic · · Score: -1, Troll

      Don't you mean wine-y cunt?

      Yummm... tasty, intoxicating and full of juice.

      *gulp*

  11. We need a monument by CodeWanker · · Score: 5, Funny

    This is the kind of thing all us hard-core geeks who grew up reading the Real Heinlein (from the '40s and 50s, before he got too preachy to tell a story) have dreamed of. A lot of really good geeks have died wanting to see this day.

    Maybe a Mainframe Terminal of the Unknown Geek can be built for them. Instead of an eternal flame it could have an eternal Estes engine on it.

    --


    "Wow. Now THAT'S a lot of angry Indians." - Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer
  12. I still can't comprehend it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic
    Ever since 2nd November I haven't been able to sleep or eat properly. My mind is tortured by desperate questions: How could it all end like this? How is it possible that the heart of America has become a big gaping red wound? Why did 50 million people vote for christian puritanism at home and a policy of arrogant bloodshed abroad?

    I fear for our country. The war on terror is not working for us - it's working against us by creating millions and millions new Osama bin Ladens that will haunt us in decades to come.

    I fear for my friends. I have homosexual, muslim, atheist and liberal friends and it's becoming ever clearer that such people will not be tolerated in the new, brave Bushland.

    I fear for my family. I fear that my doing volunteer work for women's rights and homosexual groups is going to make them targets for harrassment or worse.

    I fear for myself. I already fear to express my political opinions in public and whenever I gather enough courage to speak, I get shouted down for being "unpatriotic" and told to "Move to France". What's next? Stoning or trip to a re-education camp?

  13. Real shame by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Flamebait

    The real shame in all this is that it has taken 40 years to get to a place where Russia was 40+ years ago.

    And if you include 40 years of materials research, engineering improvements, the commoditization of aerospace components, etc, it should be reasonable to assume that some limited class of component reuse could be achieved.

    The fact is, it took one of the richest men in the world to fund this project. The 10 million $ prize only makes a small dent in the costs of building the craft.

    This is more an impressive feat of spending money. It is much less impressive when you consider what was accomplished.

    This is a super-rich man's toy project - nothing more.

    1. Re:Real shame by mr_snarf · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Spaceship one only cost something like $20 million. How much money do you think the Soviet Union spent on in 40+ years ago? I don't know the figures, but I'm guessing its far far more than $20 million.

      The amount of money was pretty small. Thats the point of privitization, the price goes down due to neccessity

      I hope the a similar thing to the x-prize continues. The next big thing is getting into orbit (far more difficult than the sub-orbital flight, which was still very difficult).

      The winning of the x-prize is step one. Hopefully, we'll see more progress in the years to come.

      But yeah, it is a shame this hasn't happened sooner.

      --
      printf("Goodbye cruel world!\b\b\b\b\b\b\b\b\b\b\b\b\b\b\b\b\b\b\b\b");
    2. Re:Real shame by rbanffy · · Score: 2, Interesting

      OK... It was something between a flamebait and a troll, but I do have to answer, anyway.

      If we leave space travel and exploration to NASA or ESA, next time a big rock fall from the sky, we will join the dinossaurs.

      What we need are cost-effective ways to get to space and back. We need cost-effective general-purpose vehicles to carry probes, people and cargo around. We need simple and reliable systems that can be assembled in orbit to form larger structures. No government agency, no matter what it does, will ever want a cost-effective way to do something because it means less money for them to spend.

      If you factor in all the costs involved, you will realize your nose-hair-trimmer took more than a million years in developing. First, we had to learn how to use our thumbs, next we had to learn how to make and keep fire, then learn how to work with metals...

      --
      http://www.dieblinkenlights.com
    3. Re:Real shame by surfimp · · Score: 1

      The amount of money was pretty small. Thats the point of privitization, the price goes down due to neccessity

      Actually, it seems far more reasonable that the price went down because 40 years ago, thanks to massive government subsidization, scientist sorted all this out and developed practical examples. Lessons learned from those programs are now "free" knowledge for the private sector, so they don't have to start from square one.

      That's the point of government subsidized programs.

    4. Re:Real shame by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      hooray for capitalism!

    5. Re:Real shame by Dimwit · · Score: 1

      While I'm not debating that privatization lowered the price considerably, don't forget that all the billions of dollars sunk into the space program by the public sector mostly paid for research. Not to disparage the SC team's amazing accomplishment, but most of the "hard" stuff was already paid for - by the public sector. Saying that "see the private sector did it for 1% the price, free markets for everyone!" is a bit disengenous to all the people who did a lot of researcht that these private projects are riding on.

      --
      ...but it's being eaten...by some...Linux or something...
    6. Re:Real shame by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      The soviets had to figure (most of) it out for themselves, besides what we didn't all already know, because we weren't exactly friendly. Consequently it probably cost a lot. They, however, had an orbiter, and so far only governments are there. Be interesting to see it happen though, I'm waiting eagerly.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    7. Re:Real shame by mr_snarf · · Score: 1

      Yes, you're the public sector has down all the hard yards in terms of space research. A more constructive thing for me to say would be the cost of private sub-orbital flight is far less than public sub-orbital flight right now. I doubt NASA could have completed the requirements for the X-prize using only $20 million (No, I'm not suggesting anything would be gained by them trying to).

      --
      printf("Goodbye cruel world!\b\b\b\b\b\b\b\b\b\b\b\b\b\b\b\b\b\b\b\b");
    8. Re:Real shame by mr_snarf · · Score: 1

      Sorry about the spelling mistakes, missing words and bad grammar in that post. Haven't had my morning coffee yet. :)

      --
      printf("Goodbye cruel world!\b\b\b\b\b\b\b\b\b\b\b\b\b\b\b\b\b\b\b\b");
    9. Re:Real shame by tmortn · · Score: 1

      Don't know that orbital is the next logical step for a private venture. Sub Orbital though could be quite interesting if you stretched out the legs a little. Would get right interesting if you could get a passenger vehicle to follow the flight profile of something like an ICBM. Anywhere in the world in a couple of hours. If you can do it with a plane that can land conventionally you can use already existing airports.

      Say a recreation of the New York to Paris challenge. Only this time it is for a sub orbital hop from New York to Paris with the ability to turn around and do it again the same day.

      --
      I don't ask you to be me. I only ask you not expect me to be you.
    10. Re:Real shame by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Just think,the last big PowerBall Lottery was something like $177Mil.cash!

  14. It will be split by slobber · · Score: 5, Informative

    "Paul Allen will split the $10 million prize with inventor Burt Rutan, with Rutan making payments to each of his employees who helped design, build, test, and fly SpaceShipOne.
    thestranger.com

    --
    "You mortals are so obtuse." -Q
  15. Ban foreigners from these projects. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Flamebait
    The key here is to ban foreigners from these projects. If the company employs any H-1B workers from China or India, then it will not receive the prize even though the company might otherwise qualify for it. The leakage of technology to, especially, China is dangerous. The Chinese space program is an integral part of its military department whereas, in the USA, NASA is strictly a civilian operation.

    We have an interest in ensuring that the critical and best technologies remain in the West: Canada, USA, Japan, Germany, etc.

    1. Re:Ban foreigners from these projects. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Afraid of difference or change are we? Racist and afraid of others? Ahh yes this is the TRUE American dream, to be in the KKK.

      Considering YOU are the FORIGNER in the US. Wait, I think you forgot that.

    2. Re:Ban foreigners from these projects. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      Anyone who is born in the USA and considers it to be home is a "Native American".

      By contrast, in racist places like India and China, a Thai born in those places would never be considered or accepted as a "Native India" or "Native Chinese".

      Racist bigots, such as yourself, believe that only White people are Americans. On the contrary, quite a few Americans of Asian ancestry serve in America's armed forces and are prepared to kill Indians and Chinese in any war between India/China and the USA.

    3. Re:Ban foreigners from these projects. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

      Whatever, keep ganking down that americanism, meanwhile in the REST OF THE FREE WORLD we laugh at thee. How often do you lick the flag?

    4. Re:Ban foreigners from these projects. by gilesjuk · · Score: 1

      I'm sure NASA developments are used by the US military. The US air force have already stated that they'll shoot down any satellites they feel are threatening US national security.

      Space is very political and so far it appears to be the US that is claiming they run the show.

  16. I'm sure we'll get an update... by sczimme · · Score: 2, Funny


    I'm sure we here on /. will get an update when Rutan goes to the bank on Monday to deposit the check, and a follow-up news flash when he balances his checkbook later in the week. :-)

    --
    I want to drag this out as long as possible. Bring me my protractor.
    1. Re:I'm sure we'll get an update... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      Yup, hopefully complete with photos of him typing in his PIN from the ATM spycam.

  17. Hmm? Venture Capital? by igrp · · Score: 2, Insightful
    I wonder if VC companies would consider investing in an X-Prize-like endeavour now that Burt Rutan and his crew have proven that it's not just doable but also possible to do it in a manner that attracts prime-time media attention.

    I guess it won't happen since a VC company would very likely be concerned about X-Prize Spinoff Inc.'s 5-year-return (basically, the way it works is that VC companies focus on return-on-investment; as a rule of thumb that should happen in a 3-7 year timeframe (5 being the median), at least if you want to be taken seriously). That's unless you have plan to develop new technology that you could use to make money in a licensing deal (eg. license your technology to the government/NASA). Or if there were some serious tax incentives.

    And this actually is one of those areas were tax breaks could, at least in my opinion, significantly stimulate growth.

  18. something funny going on early Sunday morning ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Hey, what happened to the story you guys were gonna do about Google Image Search filtering out all pictures of Abu Ghraib and Lynndie England?

    Try doing an image search for her, or Abu Ghraib, and see what y'all get back. Now try doing it with Lycos or Altavista or Yahoo. I've got a paid account and saw this story on the main page, just minutes from going live, and now someone yanked it.

  19. Zefram Cochrane by dapyx · · Score: 5, Funny

    Burt Rutan looks a bit like Zefram Cochrane, doesn't he? :-)

    --
    I'm sorry, the number you have dialed is an imaginary number. Please rotate your phone 90 degrees and dial again.
  20. Re:something funny going on early Sunday morning . by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic
    Hey, what happened to the story you guys were gonna do about Google Image Search filtering out all pictures of Abu Ghraib and Lynndie England?

    Slashdot probably got a call about how important issues national security and standing by the President are.

  21. Next Task: Safeguard America's Technologies by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic
    The key here is to ban foreigners from these projects. If the company employs any H-1B workers from China or India, then it will not receive the prize even though the company might otherwise qualify for it. The leakage of technology to, especially, China is dangerous. The Chinese space program is an integral part of its military department whereas, in the USA, NASA is strictly a civilian operation.

    We have an interest in ensuring that the critical and best technologies remain in the West: Canada, USA, Japan, Germany, etc.

  22. The next challenge for Rutan by Timesprout · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Is to convince his bank manager that spending 25+ million to win 10 million was actually a good idea.

    It was an excellent achievement but I think the real challenge is to get people to actually hand over their cash as easily as they pledge it and create a viable space tourism/haulage business.

    To be honest once the novelty and rich morons exclusivity factor wears off I cant see it happening.

    --
    Do not try to read the dupe, thats impossible. Instead, only try to realize the truth
    What truth?
    There is no dupe
    1. Re:The next challenge for Rutan by sketerpot · · Score: 5, Interesting

      In other words, you want to see Virgin Galactic get going.

    2. Re:The next challenge for Rutan by salvage1 · · Score: 1

      Actually here are the numbers. Allen put in $20M dollars for the prize. Prize amount was $10M of which Allen gets $5M Virgin paid $26M dollars for the rights to use the technology. Allen profits $11M dollars. :)

    3. Re:The next challenge for Rutan by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Conventional aviation was once the exclusive novelty of rich morons and I'm sure people used to say the same things about it that you just did.

  23. How to spend the money? by CrazyTalk · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I'm wondering how they will spend that money - I realize their development costs were well over 10 mill in the first place, but I hope some of that goes back into new ventures.

  24. I hope they blow it on hookers and dope by gelfling · · Score: -1, Troll

    Cuz that's the only way these nerds will ever have fun.

  25. $10M by chachob · · Score: 2, Funny

    ...should be enough cover his gas costs.
    ;)

    1. Re:$10M by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      God damned space utility vehicles...

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  26. kevin spacey?! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    how on earth did a picture of kevin spacey show up in the slideshow? (page 6)

  27. Let's Safeguard American Technologies by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll
    The key here is to ban foreigners from these projects. If the company employs any H-1B workers from China or India, then it will not receive the prize even though the company might otherwise qualify for it. The leakage of technology to, especially, China is very dangerous. The Chinese space program is an integral part of its military department whereas, in the USA, NASA is strictly a civilian operation.

    We have an interest in ensuring that the critical and best technologies remain in the West: Canada, USA, Japan, Germany, etc.

  28. Gotta Be Orbital by DanielMarkham · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I'm a huge Rutan fan, but it's gotta be orbital or bust.

    Creating a huge reverse bungee-jump looks like a hoot, but until you go orbital you are not demonstrating real economic value (over just fun).

    Perhaps the industry can survive for several years on 90-minute tourist rides, but I don't know. 1-hour delivery of packages and executives anywhere in the world will change the future.

    1. Re:Gotta Be Orbital by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      mmmm... launching my pain-in-the-ass boss into orbit, you're right - that would really improve my future

    2. Re:Gotta Be Orbital by Phiil · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Agreed that we need to start thinking about orbital spaceflight now. So what are the current thoughts on HOW we might get orbital - realistically? Are we still dependent on pure chemical propellant, which would require a lot of initial mass - which would surely keep the project strictly in the domain of a few very well equipped companies. The only improvement I know of is nuclear thermal propulsion - using hydrogen as a propellant, but heating it up and getting it out of the exhaust at high speed with the aid of a nuclear reactor. But I don't know for sure if this is usable for getting into orbit, or just once orbit has been reached. Finally - interesting book - George Dyson's Project Orion, about a massive interplanetary craft powered by bombs, just in case anyone hasnt caught it yet :)

    3. Re:Gotta Be Orbital by LiSrt · · Score: 1

      The "1-hour" thing doesn't actually require the vehicle to go into orbit, a big enough ballistic arc will do (yes, I know an orbit is just a ballistic arc that misses the object being orbited...), there's probably ICBMs that could be modified to slow down enough at journey's end.

      Either that or use one of these:
      http://worldatwar.net/chandelle/v1/v1n1/ww2space.h tm
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silbervogel

    4. Re:Gotta Be Orbital by DanielMarkham · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I can't give you the answer but I can make some observations.

      I think if you do the math you realize that with the current power of propellants you can't carry your fuel with you.

      Some ideas: earth-based mass drivers, ion scramjet technology, even blimps into space (JP Aerospace) looks interesting. The mass driver and blimp technology involve no (zero) big science acheivements and are both heavy-lift and completely reusable.

    5. Re:Gotta Be Orbital by Mac+Degger · · Score: 1

      7.000 interested custumors for a $200.000 ride. I agree: two hundred million tourist industry doesn't qualify as 'real economic value'.

      And don't forget, this is the first step. Rutan and others have already made their follow-up plans...they just need time to implement them.

      --
      -- Waht? Tehr's a preveiw buottn?
    6. Re:Gotta Be Orbital by Silburn_Luke · · Score: 1

      I recall Jerry Pournelle getting very excited by the potential for ground-based laser back in the late 70s. Is any work being done on that or has it proven to be impractical?

      Regards
      Luke

      --
      #include witty_one_liner.h
  29. Not Rutan by senseofhistory · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Burt Rutan is a brilliant airplane designer, and SpaceShipOne is a great rocket-powered airplane (as was the X-15, in 1951), but I don't think he'll even attempt to gain Robert Bigelow's "America's Space Prize" for a 7-passenger orbiter. Orbiters are in a nearly completely different design domain than space-planes, needing about 10 times the total impulse (energy), and much more critical management of reentry-generated heat. Rutan's not a daredevil. He's cautious and thorough. Orbiters are innately more risky than space-planes. I don't think he'll be able to come up with a way to reduce the risk to something he can accept.

    1. Re:Not Rutan by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

      In the documentary "Black Sky: The Race for Space" on the Discovery channel, Rutan showed some designs he is working on for an orbital vehicle.

    2. Re:Not Rutan by khallow · · Score: 3, Insightful
      I don?t think he?ll be able to come up with a way to reduce the risk to something he can accept.

      I don't see this. You ignore how he worked on SpaceShipOne. Namely, he gradually worked up to the altitude. I think he can reduce the risk to aacceptible levels though incremental testing.

  30. Made a small fortune by murderlegendre · · Score: 3, Funny

    spending $25 million to make $10 million

    Q: Know how to make a small fortune in space travel?

    A: Start with a large one.. ;-)

    In all seriousness, nice going folks. You won that fair & square; hats off!

    --
    There's a Starman, waiting in the sky / He'd like to come and meet us, but he hasn't got the time.
  31. Probably spend 1/2 on taxes by NotQuiteReal · · Score: 1

    Last time I looked, "Prizes" were fully taxable income.

    --
    This issue is a bit more complicated than you think.
  32. Didn't really cost the supporters $10mm/either! by anonymousman77 · · Score: 1

    They bought an insurance policy for something like $100,000 saying that it would only pay if someone fulfilled the requirements. Some insurance company weasel is getting his ass chewed right now by his boss!!!

  33. John Carmack by randall_burns · · Score: 1

    seems to have a design that is more likely to go orbital than what Rutan did.

    1. Re:John Carmack by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      Yeah, he's optimized the number of pieces at reentry to O(N^2) pieces, where N is the number of pieces that were launched.

    2. Re:John Carmack by Rei · · Score: 1

      Which design are you referring to? His design changes every week ;) Last I checked, he was looking into ditching the whole monoprop concept ;)

      --
      "Now we're getting to Science -- I love this!" -- Dr. Steven Chu, Energy Secretary confirmation hearings.
  34. CMS 5-Axis Gantry Mill by chocolatetrumpet · · Score: 1

    Scaled Composites also has a new CMS 5-Axis Gantry Mill.

    How fucking cool is that?

    --
    Spoon not. Fork, or fork not. There is no spoon.
  35. Underestimating Rutan by soldeed · · Score: 2, Insightful

    There is nothing easier in the world than being a critic, a doubter, a pessimist, a naysayer. Such as those on this forum who cast doubts that spaceship one concept would work and who now doubt that Rutan can even make an orbital vehicle. Well sir, nothing great is ever accomplished by such thinking. I celebrate the crackpot tinkerers and inventors who toil on despite critics and deriders and continue to think outside the box to bring forth "Impossible" wonders. Burt Rutan is a brilliant engineer and those who work for him are equally so. If you watched 'Black sky: the race for space' you will have seen that he already has an orbital vehicle on the drawing board.(at least) I for one will not bet against his eventual success

    1. Re:Underestimating Rutan by KD5YPT · · Score: 1

      Glad to see people of like mind. I wish to extend your argument by including a few great explorers/scientists in the past that are under-estimated.

      1. Christopher Columbus
      2. Marco Polo
      3. Albert Einstein
      4. Nikolas Tesla
      These are a few right off the top of my head.

      Yes, I've seen the National Geographic's "Black Sky: The Race for Space". I'm especially impressed with his dream of having a functional, residential space station and a cheap transport (relatively) for people.

      Burt Rutan: He really kicks the critics' ass.

      --
      In US, you can easily buy enough major firearms to wipe out your neighbourhood but a few little fireworks are banned.
  36. Fair and Square? by muntumbomoklik · · Score: 0

    Sure he played by the rules but I would have preferred to see them win it with, you know, the three people required instead of 'ballast' in their place. Call me picky, but hey.....

  37. X-Prize for Microsoft. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Let me announce a $1 prize for any one who will hurl Microsoft out of this galaxy!!

  38. I actually agree by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    If it's OK to use ballast in place of two of the three passengers, why did it have to be a manned flight at all? Why not an autopilot plus enough ballast to account for three passengers?

  39. World Trade Center on Mars by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The New York Times is reporting that part of the World Trade Center debris was built into the Mars Rovers.

  40. What about another X Prize by AmericanInKiev · · Score: 1

    Perhaps something we need - like cost effective wind power designs that don't kill birds.

    Seriously,

    Rutan is a genius at aerodynamics, if that prize had been for a 10 dollar airfoild design to generate 100 killiwatts, we could have joined the kiyoto treaty rednecks notwithstanding.

    AIK

  41. $10m bucks and he's wearing a Member's Only Jacket by Stubtify · · Score: 1

    Wow, He should have spent some of those millions on a new jacket. Or maybe he's just that hip and he bought it since retro 80's gear is hot right now.

  42. Checkpoint One: Reached by DamienNightbane · · Score: 0

    The next step is, of course, orbital spaceflight. Once we can do that quickly and cheaply, regular trips to the moon won't be too far off.

    Perhaps humans will be permanent residents of Luna within our lifetimes.

  43. Carmack wins... by JavaLord · · Score: 1

    Burt Rutan accepted the Ansari X Prize money, along with a 150-pound trophy,

    And then used the money to buy Doom3 and a system that can actually run it. Carmack always wins.