Burt Rutan Rolls Out His New Spaceship

They Did It!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/3811881.stm

Angela

 

The morning's mission took place and both ship and pilot are back safely on the ground at Mohave Airport.

The press is reporting that the vehicle successfuly reached 100 kilometers (62 miles), the rather arbitrary official boundary of outer space. But initial reports on TV said that a circuit breaker popped and shut the engine off prematurely. It clearly went higher than the last test flight, but how much higher needs verification. Pilot Mike Melvill reported experiencing 5 Gs on reentry, as opposed to three on the last flight, which reached 40 miles.

But it certainly looks like Melvill has become the first do-it-yourself astronaut using what essentially is a home-built private spacecraft.

 

The designer was the same designer form the Voyager, so it is private, but has a robust design confidence.

 

I was interested to see that the pilot is 62 years old (and went up one mile per year of age).

Next up: John Glenn, soon to be 83. He'll get us beyond the mesopause (80 miles up) and into the thermosphere.

What's with these South Africans this month? First a South African preacher officiates at the Gipper's farewell service, and now a South African becomes the first homebrew astronaut.

 

From the BBC reporter on the scene:

The craft, built by aviation pioneer Burt Rutan, went over space's 100km (62 mile) boundary, said mission control...

Mr Rutan was on the runway to embrace pilot Mike Melvill on his return.

They paid an emotional tribute to each other after the flight...

Applause and cheering broke out when the first confirmation of its attitude was announced.

Looks like the altitude has been verified. (I'm sure that nearby Edwards Air Force Base had its radar on them.)

They did it!

That's why need more 100 year old astronauts.

It took both nerve and skill to fly a minimal stripped-down space vehicle like this without all the elaborate computers, controls and instruments.

Geezers still have the right stuff!

Bloody conspiracy, that's what it is.

Seriously though, congratulations to Melvill. He did something truly extraordinary.