Maybe he's out in the Mojave Desert going "wow!". Just for the record, flight one is complete, but there were some problems. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/3697852.stm Angela -- who wants the money to go up there with them!
I was just watching the live coverage of the flight. It looks like they made their altitude. Apparently the apogee was five to ten miles higher than last time, well over 100 km. But that is awaiting independent verification. Scared me to death though. The thing went into a violent roll during powered ascent, and it looked to my layman's eye like pilot Mike Melvill had lost control. I really feared at that point not only that they wouldn't make altitude, but that Melvill would be killed and the vehicle lost. But Dick Rutan, Burt's brother and a former USAF test pilot in his own right, was doing commentary for one of the cable networks and remained laconic throughout. The vehicle was almost free of of the atmosphere when the roll excursion took place and aerodynamic loads were minimal. Dick Rutan sounded as if his biggest concern at that point was about premature engine shutdown. It isn't clear, but it sounds as if the engine was shut-off 11 or 12 seconds early and 60-something geezer-astronaut Melvill proceeded to overcome the roll moment with his reaction control thrusters. Dick Rutan said that the roll was definitely unplanned, but the possibility had been forseen. Melvill trained for it in the simulater. After SpaceshipOne returned safely without further incident, Melvill climbed out and did his now-customary victory lap sitting atop his ship. Taking questions from the press, Melvill sounded unconcerned and actually kind of self-depreciating, saying that the vehicle had performed perfectly in his estimation. He kind of implied that the roll might have been the result of his own pilot error. Melvill said that he considered the flight great fun throughout and thoroughly enjoyed it. Designer Burt Rutan said that before he can commit to the second of the two X-prize flights (it must be performed within two weeks), his team wants to go over the data on this flight to make sure that they fully understand the roll. Like one of the TV reporters said: Definitely an E-ticket ride.
The second X-prize flight is scheduled for tomorrow morning. http://www.scaled.com/projects/tierone/index.htm http://www.xprize.org/press_room/press_releases/press.php?articleID=121 The X PRIZE has just received official notice from Burt Rutan that SpaceShipOne's second flight (X2) will take place Monday morning, October 4th. Expected flight timeline: * Takeoff at 7am PT * Ignition at 8am PT * Landing at 8:30am PT * Press Conference to announce official Altitude at 10:30am PT The entire flight and press conference can be viewed LIVE at www.xprize.org on our global webcast. The X1 flight on Wednesday was carried live by the three cable news networks, CNN, Fox and MSNBC, so probably they will have the X2 flight as well. (The X1 flight was some exciting TV...) Those of you who receive the Discovery Channel on cable TV might want to check out the documentary program on the SpaceshipOne flights. Part one will air at 9-11 PM EDT/PDT this evening, Sunday Oct. 3. I gather that it will include some spectacular footage shot from the chase planes and from high resolution digital cameras on board. Plus interviews with everyone etc. Part two will air in a week, apparently with updates on the X-prize flights. Here's something else on the Scaled.com project webpage that's interesting: Burt Rutan's preliminary comments about the rolls on the X1 flight. In particular, he denies published reports that Melvill ignored ground-control orders to abort the flight. http://www.scaled.com/projects/tierone/041001_Burt_clarifies_rolling_motions.htm
