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White Knight Testing X-37

Posted by Hemos on from the chuck-yeager-where-are-you dept.

mknewman writes "The innovative carrier plane used to air-launch SpaceShipOne has a new mission. At its inland spaceport in Mojave, Calif., the White Knight mothership has been involved in fit and high-speed taxi checks with a new passenger: the X-37, an unpiloted, reusable space plane. "

7 of 86 comments (clear)

  1. How does this relate to the America's Space Prize? by DanielMarkham · · Score: -1, Troll

    Has Rutan given up on orbital flight and instead selling out to the defense department? Or did he ever commit to taking this to the next step?

    I don't understand how taking the entire rest of year to do drop tests for the Air Force is going to advance anything. Make a few bucks, sure. But make progress towards civilian orbital flight? If there's some strategy there I don't understand it.

  2. Re:./ed by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    Icanseethatyoumeantwellbypostingthearticlebutsomel ine-breaksmightbeinordernexttime!

  3. Re:Private Space May Be The Only Game Left by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    Here's some junk you'd want to send into space:

    http://www.geocities.com/angiemtg/

  4. Bloated? by tinrobot · · Score: 1, Troll

    Cost of the White Knight AND the SS1 - around $25 million

    Cost of the X37 -- $173 million.

    The article didn't say if this is $173 million is just for the X37 prototype or for one that can actually be used. My guess is the former.

  5. Re:Why? by torpor · · Score: 0, Troll

    umm .. in case you didn't know, your nation is At War. War means money. the Air Force is fighting. 'r&d' is frivolous when you have Shawk and Oww to deliver ..

    --
    ; -- the corruption of government starts with its secrets. a truly free people keep no secrets. --
  6. Think they should change the name? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    Is it me, or does the name White Knight sound racist.

    While the surviving Dixiecrats might not care, I do. Call it the PiggyBack or X-Ride, whatever, anything but White Knight. Its about as bad as naming roller coasters after Zyklon gas.

  7. Plagiarism by Stankatz · · Score: 1, Troll

    Why is there so much plagiarism on /.? The two sentences supposedly written by mknewman, were actually written by Leonard David, the author of the article. Why give credit to someone for cutting and pasting?