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SimeyTheLimey · Jun 21, 2004, 07:47 PM

I'm sure I'm not the only one impressed with the flight of Spaceship One. But am I the only one who thinks this:

looks a lot like this:

Accident?

TailsToo · Jun 21, 2004, 08:39 PM

I wonder how long before we can get flights into space? I'd like to do that before I die. Maybe not on that ship, however. (why is it a spaceship and not a spaceplane?)

RAILhead · Jun 21, 2004, 09:08 PM

This was freaking awesome, and I take my hat off to Scaled Composites. One my goals in life is to go into space and look back at Earth, and I love that the private sector is getting a crack at this. More power to them all!

Maury

KrazyEvilGoat · Jun 21, 2004, 09:47 PM

Originally posted by TailsToo:
I wonder how long before we can get flights into space? I'd like to do that before I die. Maybe not on that ship, however. (why is it a spaceship and not a spaceplane?)

Don't worry, you'll never be able to afford it anyway.

Sealobo · Jun 22, 2004, 02:29 AM

Originally posted by KrazyEvilGoat:
Don't worry, you'll never be able to afford it anyway.

That's so sad. If you think you can't do something, then it's probably true at the first place.

CharlesS · Jun 22, 2004, 03:24 AM

Originally posted by Sealobo:
That's so sad. If you think you can't do something, then it's probably true at the first place.

Just because you may be able to afford hugely expensive things doesn't mean everyone can...

Sven G · Jun 22, 2004, 10:10 AM

At least, Burt Rutan is a real aircraft genius; what is not so "advanced", currently, is the space exploration program, even on a worldwide level: considering that when I was a kid people believed that we would reach Mars in 1984 (approximately, and maybe interstellar flight in 2050-2100), today's achievings seem a little pitiful, indeed. Of course, much of the space program had to do with the cold war, which also shows how it wasn't really something "spontaneous", so to say.

It would be interesting to see humans in space again - but with some more profound reasons (see also, BTW, some of the '60s/'70s science fiction) than those which have driven the space race sofar...

Nicko · Jun 22, 2004, 10:17 AM

Originally posted by CharlesS:
Just because you may be able to afford hugely expensive things doesn't mean everyone can...

In 20 years it will probably only cost about $10-20k for a trip. Quite possible I should think.

badidea · Jun 22, 2004, 10:26 AM

Originally posted by KrazyEvilGoat:
Don't worry, you'll never be able to afford it anyway.

Why not? They said that they want to offer a trip with Spaceship One for ~ $40,000 by 2010 and prices should drop down to $6,000 shortly after (whatever that means) and this sounds like it will defenitly be affordable...!?

Nicko · Jun 22, 2004, 10:27 AM

Originally posted by badidea:
Why not? They said that they want to offer a trip with Spaceship One for ~ $40,000 by 2010 and prices should drop down to $6,000 shortly after (whatever that means) and this sounds like it will defenitly be affordable...!?

Besides, by 2010 a can of coke is going to cost $5 anyway.

badidea · Jun 22, 2004, 10:42 AM

Originally posted by Nicko:
Besides, by 2010 a can of coke is going to cost $5 anyway.

Oh, you can have that already today - if you buy one in Paris!

(I was there 4 weeks ago and bought a small bottle of water and a can of coke for �5.50!

)

itai195 · Jun 22, 2004, 11:14 AM

I'd have expected someone on a Mac forum to mention that this venture was funded by Paul Allen by now. Wouldn't want to have my space program funded by a guy who made his fortune from a company closely associated with 'crashing'

Anyway, I'm very impressed. Hopefully this will have the effect on private sector space flight they'd like it to.