Anybody watch the show about SpaceShipOne on Discovery?

[s_wilwerding]

What a phenomenal feat. For $30 M, Burt Rutan and a small team of highly intelligent engineers and test pilots did what it would probably take NASA 10s of billions of dollars and decades to do.

I've followed Burt Rutan through the years, and I would say that the man is an unqualified genuis. The aircraft and now spaceship designs that he produces (with such short development cycles) are years ahead of their time.

In any case, if you didn't get a chance to watch the show, check out the Discovery Channel listings for the next showing. It is one of the most interesting television programs I've seen in awhile.

[kach22i]

Burt designed his own house too, something with a pyramid or octogon I think. It was on the cover of Popular mechanics 20 years ago or so.

[JonT]

I watched that too Steve--phenomenal achievement. Very interesting show.

[bryanthompson]

I've watched it 3 times now... very interesting stuff. His house is one of those geodesic dome houses, IIRC. Something like these: http://www.aidomes.com/

Wow, i just noticed, two other Nebraskan's in the same thread... some kind of record

[kach22i]

Originally posted by bryanthompson
Something like these: http://www.aidomes.com/

Not there, try here.
http://freeenergynews.com/Directory/GravityMotors/BurtRutan/

[}{arlequin]

That was a cool show. I only wish they went more in depth about the actual design/construction of the crafts. What is the actual *thing* that makes a craft space-worthy? Can any airtight aircraft be in space? (Besides the structure's ridgidity/heat resistance for reentry). No heat? How about air? Was it only available from his breathing mask?

Did I miss parts where they talk about those things or are they protected so others can't copy?

It sure is fun to see private companies attempt such feats, under schedule, under budget.

One other thing I can't help but think is: "Damn that thing is tiny"

[Eric Coffey]

Great show, and an amazing accomplishment for a "privateer". Not to mention the shattering of the previous altitude record by 13,000+ feet!

[island911]

It's really great to see American ingenuity pushing the envelope again.

[s_wilwerding]

As I understand it, the "feather" slowed the aircraft enough during reentry that it never got hot enough to worry about. That's why the guy says that if the feather doesn't work, you're dead. I assumed the only air was from the mask, and I assume that the craft was airtight, though they never talked about that. I would have to assume that the craft was pressurized as well, but they also didn't talk about that.

[cstreit]

What's more amazing is that it's all hand-controlled. MECHANICALLY hand controlled. No fly by wire, seat of the pants kinda stuff.

...and I LOVED their backup system for the nav/attitude computer... A ping-pong ball on a spring.

[bryanthompson]

I wonder how they'll scale the ship to the point when they'll be able to carry satellites and things into space.

Each NASA launch costs $500 million. This entire project costed $30 million.

Nasa does do a lot more, but it's only a matter of time.

[island911]

True, but keep in mind that NASA launches a LOT higher, faster, longer.

This space orbit stuff is not linear. it's not like, if you want to go twice as far, or twice as long, you just pay twice as much. . . like a road trip.

This is more like getting your SC to go;
150mph= price of car
160mph= price of car +$5k
170mph= price of car +$12k
180mph= price of car +$30k
190mph= price of car +$50k
.
.
.
sumth'n like that.

[}{arlequin]

Originally posted by cstreit
What's more amazing is that it's all hand-controlled. MECHANICALLY hand controlled. No fly by wire, seat of the pants kinda stuff.

...and I LOVED their backup system for the nav/attitude computer... A ping-pong ball on a spring.

it's the "keep it simple" principle... to get it up there, just "shoot it straight up", to bring it down, just coast (fly) the thing down. It's an ingenous design.

I thought the feather (besides slowing it down) also changed the attitude of the craft so it enters in a safe way (less surface area for friction when pointed nose down?)

By the way, how did he reenter? Just gravity pulling him in b/c he's still pretty shallow into space or did he fire some other jets in earth's direction? Can't really have (traditional) steering working for you in a vacuum, can you?

[s_wilwerding]

I don't think they went high enough to enter into orbit. If you don't go high enough, the earth starts pulling you back once you stop the rocket engine. I'm not sure what the "magic" height is, but if you're below that, your orbit will degrade and you'll fall back to earth.

I don't think they were doing any steering up there - it pretty much goes up and comes back where you aim it. Obviously they can steer once back in the atmosphere.

[Drago]

Originally posted by island911
True, but keep in mind that NASA launches a LOT higher, faster, longer.

This space orbit stuff is not linear. it's not like, if you want to go twice as far, or twice as long, you just pay twice as much. . . like a road trip.

This is more like getting your SC to go;
150mph= price of car
160mph= price of car +$5k
170mph= price of car +$12k
180mph= price of car +$30k
190mph= price of car +$50k
.
.
.
sumth'n like that.

Exponential dude.

[slakjaw]

I missed it DAMNIT I will try to catch it next time though.

Kyle

[einreb]

I'll give Burt the props that its one cool dog and pony show... but there's a huge difference between what they did and getting something into low earth orbit...

Space ship one comes up a little short on height at only 350,000 feet. Low earrth orbit is roughly 350 km or 1,150,000 feet.

They also did a remarkable 2300 mph... unfortunately you need to hit 17500 miles per hour tangential to earth to stay in orbit.

Someone feel free to google/double check these numbers, but the point is that they have a ways to go (I dont think its thier intention. Not to mention that to go out there the ship gets more massive... needs to go higher.... have more fuel.... repeat.

I was sort of hoping that Burt and Chuck Yeager would be the two other passengers instead of the dead weights.

The US didnt just give up on the x-15 cause of the commies... ya gotta have some serious junk in the trunk to go that high.

-Bernie

Plus, astronauts get lots of trim......