Space: The Final Private Frontier

[mel]

Did anyone watch the live TV coverage early this morning on the first private flight into outer space? I barely caught the tail end of this at around 5 this morning. What essentially happened is that after months of testing, a private spacecraft climbed out of Earth's atmosphere and made it into the fringes of outer space. SpaceShip One was carried aloft on a custom made carrier plane known as the White Knight. Much like the X15 /B-52 combination of the 1960s, SpaceShip one was carried to about 50,000 ft. elevation before the mothership let the spaceship go. After a few seconds the rocket engine fired and pushed civilian test pilot Mike Melvill briefly out of the atmosphere and into the history books as being the first private citizen to go into space in a private spacecraft. I don't know about you guys, but I think this is really cool.

Granted, the private manned space industry is in its embryonic infancy here. People are trying and SpaceShip One is the first out of the gate. All of this was funded without taxpayer dollars which I think is very cool. Remember like the Wright Brothers a hundred years ago, the best innovations and inventions come out of the private sector. This is big!

BTW, there is a $10 Million cash prize being offered by an organization named Ansari for the first civilian spacecraft to carry 3 people into space and return them safely to Earth. This has to be done in 2 separate flights within 2 weeks of each other.

Could space travel become a reality for Hawaii residents? Tell us what you think.

Related Links

Passenger-Carrying Spaceship Makes Desert Debut
Spaceship One Home Page
Scaled Composites
Ansari X Prize



Spaceship One attached to its mothership jet, White Knight.
Photo courtesy of Scaled Composites, press kit.

[Mocha]

Re: Space: The Final Private Frontier

I didn't watch the space flight "live" but did watch it later when they showed it again...and guys came from all over to view it in the desert! Guess it was quite a thrill for the guy that piloted the plane...and how he threw the M & M's all around the cabin to get the weightlessness feeling.

[helen]

Re: Space: The Final Private Frontier

I knew the attempt was to be done today, I didn't know about the outcome until I read Mel's thread.

[Albert]

Re: Space: The Final Private Frontier

Maybe Clarke's "2001" should have been named "3001", but I think we'll eventually get to that point where airlines are scheduling trips to the moon ... and beyond. Probably won't be TWA, but.

[Linkmeister]

Re: Space: The Final Private Frontier

...and how he threw the M & M's all around the cabin to get the weightlessness feeling.

Did anyone else wonder if that was specific product placement for a fee? If it was, it was brilliant, because every news story I heard/saw mentioned the candy's name.

[pzarquon]

Re: Space: The Final Private Frontier

Considering all the mileage Tang got out of NASA, I doubt the prominent mentions of M&Ms was an accident. Not as colorful a story as how Reeses Pieces got into "E.T.," perhaps, but still... I hope M&Ms got their money's worth.

As excited as I was by the successful test, I'm still not ready to celebrate. This flight only got to the lowest threshold of what can be called space, with only one person aboard, and with a mounted, mid-air launch. I read one article that said - for all that's being said about the efficiencies and abilities of private contractors versus government - that if you took this effort and sought both the payload size and ground launch of the space shuttle, you'd be looking at a very similar price tag in the end.

That's not to say I don't think this company won't make good money selling tickets to one-at-a-time thrillseekers and tourists who just want to get high enough to see the curvature of the Earth. But yeah, 2001 is still a way off.

[mel]

Re: Space: The Final Private Frontier

As excited as I was by the successful test, I'm still not ready to celebrate. This flight only got to the lowest threshold of what can be called space, with only one person aboard, and with a mounted, mid-air launch. I read one article that said - for all that's being said about the efficiencies and abilities of private contractors versus government - that if you took this effort and sought both the payload size and ground launch of the space shuttle, you'd be looking at a very similar price tag in the end.

That's not to say I don't think this company won't make good money selling tickets to one-at-a-time thrillseekers and tourists who just want to get high enough to see the curvature of the Earth. But yeah, 2001 is still a way off.

I'll agree to your assessment of yesterday's flight. Still one cannot deny that it is a significant step forward in the fact that it was accomplished without taxpayer money or government help (as far as I know). After visiting Scaled Composites' website, I have learned that Spaceship One is one of many projects the firm has worked on for either private industry or the government. They do have a track record in the aviation/aerospace industry.

The way I look at yesterday's flight, it is similar to what the Wright Brothers did for aviation. They were the first off the ground, but just barely. Their Wright flyer only traveled a couple of feet off the ground for a few yards.

Comparibly, SpaceShip One just skirted the lower regions of defined "space" making it only 400 feet above the 62 mile or so threshold. As the M & M pictures prove, astronaut Melvill was indeed weightless for a few minutes. Very colorful video and good P-R for M & M's. I am sure they would not want to miss out on something like this after they screwed up with having their product placed in that famous Steven Spielberg movie.

The flight did not go without a hitch. Listening to George Noory's Coast to Coast AM on KHVH last night, one of the reporters who covered SpaceShip One's flight told us that 1. Melvill reported that he heard some kind of bang coming from behind him.. not a good sound to hear when you are in any kind of aircraft/spacecraft (echos of "Houston we got a problem") and 2. Somehow at some point of the flight, Melvill had to turn the ship 90 degrees after it rolled 90 degrees in one way... he had to roll it back another. As a result they missed their goal of going about a few miles higher than the 62 threshold.

The spaceship came back with a dented rocket motor nozzle or something. What they said was that the entire craft will have to be taken apart and examined to see what may have gone wrong and what needs to be fixed for the next flight.

I am sure with their experience, Scaled will put safety before the prize first. What some people worry about is that some of the other firms will hastily try to send their ships into space without going through enough tests.

All of this still leaves the private sector in the embryonic stage... way behind what NASA can and has done, even with their shuttle fleet still grounded.

But what I like about this, is that private firms such as Scaled has proven that if you "think different" you can achieve a similar goal that the big guys have already accomplished.

[helen]

Re: Space: The Final Private Frontier

Maybe Clarke's "2001" should have been named "3001", but I think we'll eventually get to that point where airlines are scheduling trips to the moon ... and beyond. Probably won't be TWA, but.

He made 3 sequels. "2010", "2062" and "3001". And it was PanAm in "2001" not TWA, but still.

It's still a long way off before private companies start offering tickets on their space flights.

[mel]

Re: Space: The Final Private Frontier

As things stand right now, about the only ones who will offer a ticket on a spaceflight will be the Russians.. but this will only happen again after the U.S. Space Shuttle is put back into service to supply and finish building the space station.

If the Chinese weren't so secretive and nationalistic about their space program, they too could sell a seat on their rocket capsule and send a paying customer out into orbit.

As for the private firms, so far the only thing they will probably offer for the time being is a thrill ride simular to the flight of SpaceShip One.. a quick climb into space and a glide back to earth.

[pzarquon]

Re: Space: The Final Private Frontier

The way I look at yesterday's flight, it is similar to what the Wright Brothers did for aviation. They were the first off the ground, but just barely. Their Wright flyer only traveled a couple of feet off the ground for a few yards.

I think the SpaceShip One folks did an incredible thing, but on the other hand, I'm not so sure I'd go as far as comparing them to the Wright Brothers (or whoever else is credited with being first in flight I know there's some dispute outside the U.S.). I mean, that threshold was from nothing to powered flight!

As you mentioned, the Chinese have been doing commercial launches for a while... just not manned. Several U.S. and European companies have gotten stuff into orbit from launchpads and rockets elsewhere. This seems more natural and wonderful technological and cultural evolution rather than a revolution.

Speaking as a longtime capitalist, of course, I have no doubt that a day will come in space where private business will do everything government has done, and do it better and hopefully cheaper. But whether that day comes with a big bang and fanfare or just a meandering epiphany one day traveling aboard China Spacelines flight #516 to Tranquility Base, I have no idea.

I definitely agree with the "think different" sentiment... the industrial design of the SpaceShip One vessels alone bear that philosophy out!

[Albert]

Re: Space: The Final Private Frontier

"And it was PanAm in "2001" not TWA"

Your memory is better than mine, Helen. But if Clarke had been even more clever than he always has been, it should have been "Air China".

[mel]

Re: Space: The Final Private Frontier

Spaceship 1 made its second successful flight into the fringes of outer space this morning over the Mohave Desert. The rocketship after being released from the carrier aircraft climbed to an altitude that officially puts it into space. There was some concern about a roll at the apex of the flight:

Just after firing its rocket, SpaceShipOne was seen rolling wildly against a blue sky, but the craft appeared to be stabilized by pilot Michael Melvill.

The flight was broadcast live this morning on MSNBC and other cable news networks.

More links:

Private Rocket Ship Lands After Space Flight

Scaled Composites

Branson Announces Virgin Galactic Based on SpaceShip 1 License

Sir Richard Branson announced his plans to begin Virgin Galactic, a sub-orbital tourism program based on a commercial derivative of SpaceShipOne. Flights are expected to begin in 2008 and will cost about US$200,000 per person.

Private spaceflight takes another small step forward.

[pzarquon]

Re: Space: The Final Private Frontier

Just after firing its rocket, SpaceShipOne was seen rolling wildly against a blue sky, but the craft appeared to be stabilized by pilot Michael Melvill.

Yikes. I hope it was all planned, and just looked like trouble. Didn't the first flight this summer have a few tense moments as well? They need to make one more flight in the next two weeks to win the prize... but even if they don't, this whole effort definitely has the makings of a new, near-consumer-grade space era.

[mel]

Re: Space: The Final Private Frontier

While I applaud the advances of private spaceflight, incidents like the roll that happened this morning which Melville said afterwards was not planned, will keep me firmly on the ground in so far as space travel goes. Plus I don't have that kind of money to just burn away on a 3 minute joyride.

That said the private, manned spaceflight industry is only in its infancy. We are at a point where the first aviation barnstormers were back in the early 20th century in regards to private spaceflight.

But definitely we are entering a new era. Government could also learn from the efforts of these space pioneers in the fact that perhaps a smaller spacecraft may be a feasible supplement to the currrent and possible future fleet of space shuttles.

[helen]

Re: Space: The Final Private Frontier

What I find ironic is that Tuesday's (9/28/2004) Honolulu Star-Bulletin Business section has the announcement of a space travel venture that has targetted price tag of $208,000 per seat (I think) and the annoucement of the closure of Schuman Carriage.

Granted it is a start but I think it would be nice if this form of travel went from Point A to Point B instead of going from Point A to Point A.