|
||
|
SpaceShipOne Wins $10-million Ansari X Prize |
||
Mojave Desert, CA, Oct. 5/Satnews Daily/ — SpaceShipOne built by Mojave Aerospace Ventures, LLC successfully made its second flight to space in five days winning the $10 million Ansari X Prize and ushering a new era of space tourism.
The world’s first private rocketship reached speeds up to 3,500 km/hour and flew at a maximum altitude of 368,000 feet (112km) at the edge of space before flying back to the Earth’s atmosphere. That exceeded the required 328,000 feet altitude required by the X Prize Foundation of St. Louis, Missouri. The altitude is generally considered to be the threshold of space.
SpaceShipOne flight was piloted by Brian Binnie who was released from its mothership White Knight at 50,000 feet. Binnie continued into space breaking the August 22, 1963 record of Joseph A. Walker who flew the X-15 vehicle to an unofficial world altitude record of 354,200 feet.
Organizers said U.S. President George W. Bush called the spacecraft's designer, aviation pioneer Burt Rutan and his team to congratulate them on their feat.
As SpaceShipOne touched down, Rutan stood alongside British tycoon Richard Branson leaping for joy and cheering. Branson, owner of the Virgin Atlantic airline, announced last September 27 an agreement with MAV to license SpaceShipOne technology and develop the first privately funded spaceships that will carry commercial passengers on space flights.
Branson also set up Virgin Galactic to serve as “space tourism operator” and, subject to regulatory clearances, expects to begin operating flights in 2007. Virgin Group said Virgin Galactic will be open for business in 2005 and will offer space flights for about $270,000 a trip.
To win the X Prize, the same reusable manned spacecraft needed to make two journeys into space within two weeks while carrying the equivalent weight of two passengers. The first SpaceShipOne space flight was made last September 29 and was piloted by 62-year-old South African-born Michael Melvill. He landed safely in a launch site in the Mojave Desert in California after reaching an altitude of more than 100 kilometers.
The Ansari X Prize was designed to jumpstart the space tourism industry through competition among the most talented entrepreneurs and rocket experts in the world. SpaceShipOne was built and launched with private funds with Microsoft co-founder Paul G. Allen financing mostly MAV’s operations.
Recent Stories: SpaceShipOne Goes for $10-million Prize Today SpaceShipOne Successfully Completes First Ansari X-Prize Flight Attempt Virgin Group Signs Deal with Paul G. Allen’s Mojave Aerospace |
||
