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Monday, April 21, 2003

Rocket Man

On Friday [Scaled Composites] unveiled their [X-Prize] entry, [SpaceShipOne]. The X-Prize is a $10 million prize for the first team to privately send 3 people to 100km (62.5 miles) altitude, returns them safely, and can do it twice in 2 weeks. The idea here is to give people something to shoot for, and to encourage innovation in space tourism. While some of the teams are working on concepts you sure wouldn't catch me hitching a ride in, Rutan is almost definitely going to go all the way, and right now it looks like Scaled's entry will be the first to do it.
AvWeek has a good[article] on SpaceShipOne that gives a lot more detail than the [space.com story], and AvWeek has a second [editorial on the x-prize itself]

Before I left college disillusioned, Rutan was one of my role models as I worked toward an aero degree. Back then, to me working for Scaled or the Lockheed Skunk Works would have been heaven. If you read [an interview] with Rutan you might get drowned in aero jargon, but if you look at [this QTVR pano of some of his designs,] you'll see he doesn't make "normal" planes.

4/21/2003 06:14:00 PM ] [  0 comments  ]
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