starlord wrote:

While the WhiteKnight was making it's way to the dropoff hight, they had
Dick Rutan talking along with the others.

Main thing that came out of this was:

1. A company could do this without the Feds butting in.

But I expect they used a fair amount of core technology developed with
taxpayer money.


2. With the flight, Mojave Airport now became Mojave Space Port and Space
Flight Test Center, the first one in the nation.


I get through Mojave frequently. I'll always think of it as the Mojave
Airliner Storage Facility -- at least until space flights become more
frequent :-)

3. The first man to reach space without riding a NASA rocket happened and
got his "Space Wings".


Well -- that discounts quite a few Soviet/Russian astronauts -- and even
the American who paid $20M to ride up to the ISF on a Soyuz.

But the general point is a good one.

This craft was designed for the X Prize, and during the two weeks of flight
for that when they are ready, instead of carrying the extra ( Dead ) weight
that would be two more people, two live people ( Burt Rutan +? ) may take
the ride itself.


Are they required to have three aboard to win the prize or just seats
for three?

Once that is overwith, on a pay for ride base, Rutan may ( most likly will )
take others up to show them what it's like being up there, even for just a
few mins.


Seems like I heard a number like $98K a flight, but I was not paying
close attention.

When asked about a craft that could Orbit the Earth, it was stated that they
could not tell anything about it, BUT there IS something on the drawing
boards.

Also, other companys, right there on the flight line have their own plans
for the X-Prize and other projects too.

They even mentioned X-Corp and the rocket plane and the engines they are
working on.

That they are bring a new era in the history of Aerospace into the area,
which, while maybe not as big as the feds have done in the past, it'll bring
in new jobs and people into the area too.


Are they based in Mojave (or nearby) or just using it for a flight facility?

Phil