Big Think Interview with Burt Rutan

"In April 1982, Rutan founded Scaled Composites to develop research aircraft. Since its founding, Scaled has been the world’s most productive aerospace prototype development company, developing new aircraft types at a rate of one each year. Recent projects include the White Knight and SpaceShipOne, the world’s first privately funded spacecraft. He made international headlines on 21 June 2004, when with Mike Melvill at the controls, SS1 flew history’s-first private manned space flight. On 4 Oct 2004, SS1 won the $10M Ansari X-prize (two flights within 5 days flown by Melvill and Brian Binnie). The Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer designed and built at Scaled made its maiden flight in March 2004 and a record setting solo world flight in March 2005."

big think.com, 3 March 2010

Peter Diamandis on the X-Prize and Private Spacecraft

Dr. Peter Diamandis is the Founder and Chairman of the X PRIZE Foundation, an educational non-profit prize institute whose mission is to create radical breakthroughs for the benefit of humanity. His foundation is best known for offering the $10 million Ansari X PRIZE for private-sector manned spaceflight, a prize that was won in October 2004 by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen and famed aviation designer Burt Rutan with SpaceShipOne, the world's first non-government piloted spacecraft. More recently, Diamandis has created the Rocket Racing League. Diamandis is also the CEO and co-founder of Zero Gravity Corporation, which offers parabolic weightless flights to the general public. He is also the co-Founder and a Director of Space Adventures, Ltd the company that has flown eight private citizens on Soyuz to the International Space Station.

I had lunch with Dr. Diamandis in July/August 2003. I had just broken the World Record, the US Transcontinental Record and the Speed Over a Recognized Course flying from SNA to FFA in a Diamondstar DA-40 (Class C-1b, Group I) in 17hrs, 23min and 45sec. I was all over the news at that time. The VP of Marketing from Zero-G Corp arranged the lunch so that Peter and I could meet. He is truly a very inspiring individual and a pioneer and a visionary. Truly a GREAT person.

A successful launch of the Air Force X-37B - It is in Orbit

I was in an all afternoon meeting and I got back into my office just in time to catch the live feed from Spaceflightnow.com during the 20 minute hold at 4 minutes. Perfect timing to watch the launch. The footage was on YouTube shortly thereafter. Enjoy!

Air Force X-37B to launch tomorrow on top of an Atlas V rocket

"The X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle, or OTV, is a non-operational system that will demonstrate a reliable, reusable, unmanned space test platform for the U.S. Air Force. The objectives of the OTV program include space experimentation, risk reduction and a concept of operations development for reusable space vehicle technologies. The X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle is the newest and most advanced re-entry spacecraft. Based on NASA's X-37 design, the unmanned OTV is designed for vertical launch to low Earth orbit altitudes where it can perform long duration space technology experimentation and testing. Upon command from the ground, the OTV autonomously re-enters the atmosphere, descends and lands horizontally on a runway. The X-37B is the first vehicle since NASA's Shuttle Orbiter with the ability to return experiments to Earth for further inspection and analysis. Technologies to be tested include advanced guidance, navigation and control, thermal protection systems, avionics, high temperature structures and seals, conformal reusable insulation, and lightweight electromechanical flight systems. In addition, the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle will demonstrate autonomous orbital flight, reentry and landing."

X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle

Primary Mission: Testing reusable space vehicle

Prime Contractor: Boeing

Height: 9 feet, 6 inches (2.9 meters)

Length: 29 feet, 3 inches (8.9 meters)

Wingspan: 14 feet, 11 inches (4.5 meters)

Launch Weight: 11,000 pounds (4,990 kilograms)

Power: Gallium Arsenide Solar Cells with lithium-Ion batteries

Launch Vehicle: Lockheed-Martin Atlas V (501)

And, Jeff Manber's perspective on this launch:

STS-131 is back home on the good Earth

Discovery's crew consisted of Alan Poindexter (Commander), James Dutton (Pilot), Richard Mastracchio (MS1), Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger (MS2), Stephanie Wilson (MS3), Naoko Yamazaki (MS4) from JAXA, and Clayton Anderson (MS5).

This was the 162nd manned spaceflight for the United States, the 131st shuttle mission since STS-1 and the 38th flight for Discovery.