yasin_khan
New Member
SpaceShipOne, the first craft to attempt the $10m Ansari X-Prize, has successfully completed the first of two qualifying flights into space.
After a delay, the White Knight plane took off from California's Mojave Airport at 0711 PDT (1411 GMT).
It carried SpaceShipOne to 13.8km (46,000ft). Seconds after separation it went into a perilous spin, but pilot Mike Melvill regained control.
Two unofficial radar readings said the craft had passed the 100km boundary.
But organisers will not be able to confirm the altitude until readings from equipment on board are taken.
To claim the prize, it now must repeat the flight once more within two weeks. The second flight has been scheduled for 4 October.
SpaceShipOne became the first private, manned craft to go above 100km in a June test flight.
Both White Knight and SpaceShipOne were designed by aviation legend Burt Rutan and backed by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen.
Cheers and smiles
When test pilot Brian Binnie taxied the White Knight down the runway, Mr Melvill waved to cheering crowds from SpaceShipOne, slung underneath.
As the Sun rose above the Mojave desert, the winds which had caused the slight delay dropped. After it had been taken to its required height of 13.8km (46,000ft), SpaceShipOne was released.
It glided for a few seconds before its pilot lit the rocket and pointed the vehicle straight up to break through the Earth's atmosphere, an altitude officially recognised as 100km (62 miles).
There were tense moments seconds later when the craft appeared to be spinning wildly, but experienced test pilot Mr Melvill managed to change the craft's configuration.
At the top of its flight, SpaceShipOne adjusts its wings to give the craft a different shape, known as the high-drag configuration.
This ensures that during its fall back to Earth, the vehicle's descent speed is controlled and heating of the airframe is minimised.
The whole journey took about 90 minutes.
Teddy guest
Mr Melvill, 62, became the first non-government-funded pilot to fly a spaceship out of Earth's atmosphere during June's test flight.
On both X-Prize qualifying flights, SpaceShipOne needs to fly with a pilot and at least the ballast equivalent of two other people.
Guest of honour on-board Wednesday's flight was Terence, a teddy bear from Cumbria, who has travelled around the world to raise cash for charity.
Mr Rutan told BBC News Online he aims be one of the first human passengers, possibly on the second X-Prize flight in October.
But he admitted that June's record-breaking test was not perfect; some "anomalies" had occurred. Mr Melvill spoke of a loud bang during the record-breaking mission.
On the ground, he pointed out a section at the back of the craft where a part covering the nozzle had buckled, suggesting it may have caused the odd noise.
This prompted a tweak for Wednesday's attempt: the nozzle was reinforced and painted white to limit its temperature.
Focused effort
The X-Prize was established to galvanise the commercial spaceflight business. Already, one millionaire is looking to the future by offering a $50m reward for the first private orbiting spacecraft.
By focussing the efforts of private entrepreneurs, the X-Prize aims to break the monopoly of government organisations and jumpstart space tourism.
It appears the prize may have succeeded in this goal, with news on Monday that Virgin boss Sir Richard Branson would be offering commercial space flights in about three years using the technology employed by Rutan on SpaceShipOne.
Rutan says he plans to make the two qualifying flights within four to seven days of each other. High winds are a major concern and could lead to delays though.
A rival team, the Toronto-based GoldenPalace.com Space Program, which was formerly called the daVinci project, has put back its stab at the prize. The team had been scheduled for a first launch on 2 October.
Team leader Brian Feeney said the delay was necessary to allow more time to work with a pressure vessel for the Wild Fire spacecraft, as well a few other minor components.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3697852.stm
After a delay, the White Knight plane took off from California's Mojave Airport at 0711 PDT (1411 GMT).
It carried SpaceShipOne to 13.8km (46,000ft). Seconds after separation it went into a perilous spin, but pilot Mike Melvill regained control.
Two unofficial radar readings said the craft had passed the 100km boundary.
But organisers will not be able to confirm the altitude until readings from equipment on board are taken.
To claim the prize, it now must repeat the flight once more within two weeks. The second flight has been scheduled for 4 October.
SpaceShipOne became the first private, manned craft to go above 100km in a June test flight.
Both White Knight and SpaceShipOne were designed by aviation legend Burt Rutan and backed by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen.
Cheers and smiles
When test pilot Brian Binnie taxied the White Knight down the runway, Mr Melvill waved to cheering crowds from SpaceShipOne, slung underneath.
As the Sun rose above the Mojave desert, the winds which had caused the slight delay dropped. After it had been taken to its required height of 13.8km (46,000ft), SpaceShipOne was released.
It glided for a few seconds before its pilot lit the rocket and pointed the vehicle straight up to break through the Earth's atmosphere, an altitude officially recognised as 100km (62 miles).
There were tense moments seconds later when the craft appeared to be spinning wildly, but experienced test pilot Mr Melvill managed to change the craft's configuration.
At the top of its flight, SpaceShipOne adjusts its wings to give the craft a different shape, known as the high-drag configuration.
This ensures that during its fall back to Earth, the vehicle's descent speed is controlled and heating of the airframe is minimised.
The whole journey took about 90 minutes.
Teddy guest
Mr Melvill, 62, became the first non-government-funded pilot to fly a spaceship out of Earth's atmosphere during June's test flight.
On both X-Prize qualifying flights, SpaceShipOne needs to fly with a pilot and at least the ballast equivalent of two other people.
Guest of honour on-board Wednesday's flight was Terence, a teddy bear from Cumbria, who has travelled around the world to raise cash for charity.
Mr Rutan told BBC News Online he aims be one of the first human passengers, possibly on the second X-Prize flight in October.
But he admitted that June's record-breaking test was not perfect; some "anomalies" had occurred. Mr Melvill spoke of a loud bang during the record-breaking mission.
On the ground, he pointed out a section at the back of the craft where a part covering the nozzle had buckled, suggesting it may have caused the odd noise.
This prompted a tweak for Wednesday's attempt: the nozzle was reinforced and painted white to limit its temperature.
Focused effort
The X-Prize was established to galvanise the commercial spaceflight business. Already, one millionaire is looking to the future by offering a $50m reward for the first private orbiting spacecraft.
By focussing the efforts of private entrepreneurs, the X-Prize aims to break the monopoly of government organisations and jumpstart space tourism.
It appears the prize may have succeeded in this goal, with news on Monday that Virgin boss Sir Richard Branson would be offering commercial space flights in about three years using the technology employed by Rutan on SpaceShipOne.
Rutan says he plans to make the two qualifying flights within four to seven days of each other. High winds are a major concern and could lead to delays though.
A rival team, the Toronto-based GoldenPalace.com Space Program, which was formerly called the daVinci project, has put back its stab at the prize. The team had been scheduled for a first launch on 2 October.
Team leader Brian Feeney said the delay was necessary to allow more time to work with a pressure vessel for the Wild Fire spacecraft, as well a few other minor components.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3697852.stm
