DOCSLIB.ORG

Congressional Record—House H8376

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Congressional Record—House H8376 H8376 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE October 6, 2004 owners of a fractionated parcel on decisions to returning safely to Earth, and repeating the SpaceShipOne designer Burt Rutan and lease the land. Consolidating the land has the launch with the same ship within 2 weeks; sponsor Paul Allen, have nonetheless effect of putting the land into more productive Whereas the Ansari X Prize inspired 26 crossed a critical frontier. They have teams from 7 nations to invest their private use. accepted and exceeded the X Prize funds and personal toil in pursuit of the Foundation’s challenge, proving that According to the Department of the Interior, dream of private space flight; just to keep fractionation from getting worse at Whereas Mojave Aerospace Ventures, led commercial space transportation is present, it would have to spend $250 million by aviation pioneer Burt Rutan and software viable and that space and its explo- per year in buy-backs to maintain the current pioneer Paul Allen, designed and developed ration and utilization will not be the number of fractionated interests stable. The SpaceShipOne, the winning entry in the sole arena of government, but is also Department of Interior has said that if it can Ansari X Prize competition; open to the private sector and to pri- get the ‘‘single heir rule’’ in place by passing Whereas on June 21, 2004, SpaceShipOne, vate individuals and private compa- S.1721, it will be much more aggressive in the piloted by Mike Melvill, accomplished the nies. first privately funded suborbital flight into The achievement of Mojave Aero- buy-back program, which is why it wants the space in the skies above Mojave, California; authorization levels provided in the bill. The space will no doubt spur more entrepre- Whereas on September 29, 2004, neurial space ventures and inspire aggressive buy-back will lower the number SpaceShipOne, once again piloted by Mike other dreamers to become doers. fractionated interests over time. Melvill, successfully completed the first of 2 Burt Rutan’s design for This is probably the most important bill re- suborbital flights in pursuit of the Ansari X SpaceShipOne has been said to echo garding Native Americans to be passed in this Prize competition, flying to an altitude of 337,600 feet (102.9 km); and that of the X–15, an experimental Cold Congress. I thank my colleagues on the War rocket plane like SpaceShipOne. It House Resources Committee and the Senate Whereas on October 4, 2004, SpaceShipOne, piloted by Brian Binnie, successfully com- was launched in flight from a larger Indians Affairs Committee for their diligence to pleted the second of 2 suborbital flights in aircraft. It is not only Burt Rutan’s el- work to address this problem. pursuit of the Ansari X Prize less than one egant design, however, that reminds us Mr. RODRIGUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I week later, flying to an altitude of 368,000 of another time. The spirit of his team yield back the balance of my time. feet (112.2 km), and thereby winning the and the X Prize competition recalls the Mr. POMBO. Mr. Speaker, I yield Ansari X Prize competition: Now, therefore, spirit of the early years of our Nation’s back the balance of my time. be it Resolved, That the House of Representa- space race. It recalls the Charles Lind- The SPEAKER pro tempore. The bergh trans-Atlantic flight which was question is on the motion offered by tives— (1) congratulates Mojave Aerospace Ven- also the result of a prize that was of- the gentleman from California (Mr. tures, led by Burt Rutan and Paul Allen, for fered for the first accomplishment. POMBO) that the House suspend the winning the privately funded $10,000,000 That accomplishment was, of course, rules and pass the Senate bill, S. 1721. Ansari X Prize and inspiring the next gen- the first nonstop trip from New York The question was taken; and (two- eration of space explorers to even greater to Paris. thirds having voted in favor thereof) heights; the rules were suspended and the Sen- (2) commends the pilots of SpaceShipOne b 0130 ate bill was passed. for their skill and bravery; and It also reminds us of Chuck Yeager, A motion to reconsider was laid on (3) commends the founders of, contributors and others like Chuck Yeager, who to, and management of the X Prize Founda- the table. broke the records of the sound barrier tion for spurring this achievement. and other records in flight. It reminds f The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- us of these other moments when these GENERAL LEAVE ant to the rule, the gentleman from other barriers were broken and that Mr. POMBO. Mr. Speaker, I ask California (Mr. ROHRABACHER) and the new opportunities were created in the unanimous consent that all Members gentleman from Texas (Mr. LAMPSON) accomplishment. may have 5 legislative days within each will control 20 minutes. This spirit of exploration, this drive which to revise and extend their re- The Chair recognizes the gentleman to push the limits of technology and marks and include extraneous material from California (Mr. ROHRABACHER). endurance, is a signature of the Amer- on S. 1791, S. 2511, S. 2178, S. 211 and S. GENERAL LEAVE ican experience; that human flight into 1721. Mr. ROHRABACHER. Mr. Speaker, I space, we now can say, is no longer the The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there ask unanimous consent that all Mem- arena only of government and only the objection to the request of the gen- bers may have 5 legislative days within purview of companies that are directly tleman from California? which to revise and extend their re- financed by government, but now is There was no objection. marks and include extraneous material open to private individuals and private companies and private enterprise and f on H. Res. 820. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there individual enterprise. CONGRATULATING MOJAVE AERO- objection to the request of the gen- The X Prize awakens us to this spirit SPACE VENTURE FOR WINNING tleman from California? with a new generation of explorers. It THE ANSARI X PRIZE There was no objection. awakens the spirit in students who will study science and math and engineer- Mr. ROHRABACHER. Mr. Speaker, I Mr. ROHRABACHER. Mr. Speaker, I ing, as well as those who have been in- move to suspend the rules and agree to yield myself such time as I may con- spired toward bold innovations in other sume. the resolution (H. Res. 820) to con- fields. Like Melvill, Binnie and Rutan, Mr. Speaker, there are two kind of gratulate Mojave Aerospace Ventures and the Mojave Aerospace Ventures, frontiers. There are physical frontiers: for winning the privately funded their team, these new explorers, will uncharted land, unseen depths of $10,000,000 Ansari X Prize and commend inspire the dreamers and give them the X Prize Foundation for spurring oceans, unexplored space. And then courage and determination to turn this achievement, as amended. there are frontiers of imagination: their dreams into reality. The Clerk read as follows: frontiers that require us to think a new Today, we honor the winners of the X H. RES. 820 way, to have a vision beyond what oth- Prize for their victory and for com- Whereas the Ansari X Prize competition ers see, to question assumptions about pleting the first privately funded, was created to promote the emerging com- what is technologically possible. human, suborbital space flight. We also mercial space transportation industry and Today, we honor Mojave Aerospace commend the X Prize Foundation and inspire a new generation of explorers by ac- Ventures’ SpaceShipOne, the winner of the 25 other teams who vied for the celerating the development of low-cost space the X Prize for traversing this second prize. We look forward to watching launch vehicles for space exploration, tour- kind of frontier. commercial space transportation to ism, science, and commerce; Suborbital space is not a new des- continue to develop, engaging new in- Whereas the X Prize Foundation, headed tination. Brian Binnie and Mike by space entrepreneur Dr. Peter Diamandis, vestors and engineers, scientists and offered a $10,000,000 prize to the first contest- Melvill, the pilots of SpaceShipOne, did pilots in the business of exploration. ant to privately finance, develop, and launch not fly higher, farther or longer than This X Prize concept of offering a re- a spaceship capable of carrying 3 people to the astronauts who came before them, ward for an achievement, a techno- 100 kilometers (62.5 miles) above the Earth, yet Brian and Mike, together with logical achievement, is not a time that VerDate jul 14 2003 03:46 Oct 08, 2004 Jkt 039060 PO 00000 Frm 00106 Fmt 4634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A06OC7.161 H06PT2 October 6, 2004 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H8377 is past. What we have seen, through sume. I have no other requests to jave Aerospace Ventures on winning the this accomplishment by Mojave Aero- speak, and I have just one last thought. Ansari X Prize competition. space, is that this may be a vehicle to I believe that the investor invested On December 17, 1903, Wilbur and Orville achieve new goals in space, and we will $26 million in this project. We have no Wright made the first sustained, controlled, be looking into this. Hopefully, it will doubt that, if this project was just a powered flight of an airplane at Kitty Hawk, encourage further achievements that government-funded project, that it NC. Now, a little over a century later Mojave will help the United States and all of probably would have been in the hun- Aerospace Ventures has followed in the foot- humankind set new records and push dreds of millions of dollars.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Press Release
    National Aeronautic Association FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: David Ivey, 703-527-0226 E-Mail: [email protected] SpaceShipOne Team Named 2004 Collier Trophy Winner Arlington, VA – SpaceShipOne, the first-ever privately financed, manned spacecraft has won the prestigious Robert J. Collier Trophy Monday, taking its place alongside the greatest advances in aviation history. The Collier Trophy has been awarded each year since 1911 by the National Aeronautic Association “for the greatest achievement in aviation in America…” SpaceshipOne went into space for the first time on June 21, 2004, when Mike Melvill piloted the craft 100 kilometers above the Earth’s surface, an altitude considered to be the beginning of space. In the fall of last year, SS1 made a pair of return trips to space within a week of each other to earn the $10 million Ansari X-Prize, given to the first team to prove that civilian manned spaceflight is feasible. The amazing vehicle was designed and built by a small firm in Mojave, California, Scaled Composites, LLC, which was founded in 1982 by aircraft designer Burt Rutan. The cost of the project, about $26 million, was covered by investor Paul G. Allen, the co-founder of Microsoft. Capable of carrying a pilot and two passengers to space, SS1 is made primarily of graphite and epoxy. It reaches space much like a rocket would, traveling straight up at many times the speed of sound after being released from its carrier ship, White Knight. It featured the revolutionary idea of a “carefree” re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere, by reconfiguring its wings, which are then moved back into position to allow the pilot to glide the craft back to Earth.
    [Show full text]
  • October 2004
    OCTOBER 2004 OCTOBER 2004 SPACESHIPONE WINS ANSARI X PRIZE! THIS MONTH’S PROGRAM FROM: EAA.ORG MONDAY OCTOBER 11TH, 2004 EAA President congratulates fellow member Rutan on ac- complishment. • SOCIAL HOUR AT 7 P.M. October 4, 2004 - The long hours of work and anxiety paid off • MEETING AT 7:30 P.M. CHAP- for EAA member Burt Rutan and the SpaceShipOne project TER HOUSE, ENTRANCE B, team today, as pilot Brian Binnie took the homebuilt space- LAKE ELMO AIRPORT craft into space for the second time in five days to win the $10 • THE GUEST SPEAKER WILL BE million Ansari X Prize. JILL WALL OF FARNSWORTH AEROSPACE ELEMENTARY. INSIDE THIS ISSUE SPACESHIPONE WINS 1 ANSARI XPRIZE PRESIDENT’S REPORT 2 The SpaceShipOne team celebrates after Monday's success- TREASURER’S REPORT 3 ful flight that captured the $10 million Ansari X Prize. On the podium in front of SpaceShipOne are (from left): X Prize WEINER WITHHOLDS BILL 3 president Dr. Peter H. Diamandis; Paul Allen, who provided GA SECURITY 4 financial support; aircraft designer Burt Rutan; Monday's SpaceShipOne pilot Brian Binnie; and Sir Richard Branson, CEO of the Virgin Group. (Photo by Jim Campbell, Aero SEPTEMBER MEETING 6 MINUTES News Network. All rights reserved.) VIRGIN LICENSES 9 EAA president Tom Poberezny, who had been present at Mo- SPACESHIPONE jave, Calif., last Wednesday for the first successful X Prize (Continued on page 7) HTTP://WWW.EAA54.ORG EAA CHAPTER 54 THE BEACON PRESIDENT’S COLUMN BY PAUL HOVE Fall is definitely here. The temperatures have been down to freezing and back up to 80 de- grees in a single day.
    [Show full text]
  • The World's Most Active Aviation & Aerospace
    The USA's Most Active Aviation & Aerospace Professionals on Social - July 2021 Industry at a glance: Why should you care? So, where does your company rank? Position Company Name LinkedIn URL Location Employees on LinkedIn No. Employees Shared (Last 30 Days) % Shared (Last 30 Days) 1 Relativity Space https://www.linkedin.com/company/relativity/United States 430 134 31.16% 2 Planet https://www.linkedin.com/company/planet-labs/United States 668 144 21.56% 3 Ametek MRO https://www.linkedin.com/company/ametekmro/United States 248 40 16.13% 4 OneWeb Satellites https://www.linkedin.com/company/oneweb-satellites/United States 213 33 15.49% 5 Wisk https://www.linkedin.com/company/wisk-aero/United States 229 34 14.85% 6 Firefly Aerospace https://www.linkedin.com/company/fireflyspace/United States 339 45 13.27% 7 Redwire Space https://www.linkedin.com/company/redwirespace/United States 409 54 13.20% 8 Pinnacle Solutions https://www.linkedin.com/company/pinnacle-solutions-inc./United States 225 29 12.89% 9 Satcom Direct https://www.linkedin.com/company/satcom-direct/United States 296 35 11.82% 10 Avian https://www.linkedin.com/company/avian-inc/United States 231 27 11.69% 11 Calspan https://www.linkedin.com/company/calspan-corporation/United States 305 35 11.48% 12 Jet Edge International https://www.linkedin.com/company/jet-edge-international/United States 250 27 10.80% 13 SalamAir https://www.linkedin.com/company/salam-air/United States 306 32 10.46% 14 FEAM https://www.linkedin.com/company/feam/United States 350 31 8.86% 15 STS Aviation Group https://www.linkedin.com/company/sts-aviation-group/United
    [Show full text]
  • A Perspective on the Design and Development of the Spacex Dragon Spacecraft Heatshield
    A Perspective on the Design and Development of the SpaceX Dragon Spacecraft Heatshield by Daniel J. Rasky, PhD Senior Scientist, NASA Ames Research Center Director, Space Portal, NASA Research Park Moffett Field, CA 94035 (650) 604-1098 / [email protected] February 28, 2012 2 How Did SpaceX Do This? Recovered Dragon Spacecraft! After a “picture perfect” first flight, December 8, 2010 ! 3 Beginning Here? SpaceX Thermal Protection Systems Laboratory, Hawthorne, CA! “Empty Floor Space” December, 2007! 4 Some Necessary Background: Re-entry Physics • Entry Physics Elements – Ballistic Coefficient – Blunt vs sharp nose tip – Entry angle/heating profile – Precision landing reqr. – Ablation effects – Entry G’loads » Blunt vs Lifting shapes – Lifting Shapes » Volumetric Constraints » Structure » Roll Control » Landing Precision – Vehicle flight and turn-around requirements Re-entry requires specialized design and expertise for the Thermal Protection Systems (TPS), and is critical for a successful space vehicle 5 Reusable vs. Ablative Materials 6 Historical Perspective on TPS: The Beginnings • Discipline of TPS began during World War II (1940’s) – German scientists discovered V2 rocket was detonating early due to re-entry heating – Plywood heatshields improvised on the vehicle to EDL solve the heating problem • X-15 Era (1950’s, 60’s) – Vehicle Inconel and Titanium metallic structure protected from hypersonic heating AVCOAT » Spray-on silicone based ablator for acreage » Asbestos/silicone moldable TPS for leading edges – Spray-on silicone ablator
    [Show full text]
  • Stratolaunch Chooses Megadoors for the Hangar Housing the World's
    Aircraft Manufacturing Mojave, CA End user: Stratolaunch chooses Megadoors for the Stratolaunch stratolaunch.com hangar housing the world’s largest aircraft. Design build © ASSA ABLOY Entrance Systems AB CS.AVS/ORG.EN-1.1/1901 contractor: Background Wallace & Smith ASSA ABLOY Entrance Systems proudly provided Business entrepreneur Richard Branson of Virgin Group has General Contractors Stratolaunch Systems, a Paul G. Allen Project, with a since licensed the technology behind SpaceShipOne for wallacesmith.com 420’w x 68’h (128m x 21m) Megadoor hangar door Virgin Galactic, a venture that will take paying customers into system for their new fabrication facility located in Mojave suborbital space. Metal building California. Inside this facility, the world’s largest aircraft supplier: is being fabricated by Scaled Composites which has a Critical issues: CBC Steel Buildings wingspan of 380’ (116m) and thrust provided by (6) 747 Desert Conditions: cbcsteelbuildings.com aircraft engines. This aircraft will be used as a carrier The composite carrier vehicle being crafted inside by the Hangar Statistics: vehicle, flying to 30,000ft with a rocket that will then be highly skilled technicians requires an environment protected • 103 257sq ft. launched with a payload destined for space. This system from the harsh conditions of the Mojave desert. For example, (9 592 m2) will revolutionize space transportation. the fine dust blowing around the desert airport is notorious for coating everything not properly protected. Keeping • 420’ clear span (128m) In 2004, SpaceShipOne ushered in a new era of space sensitive aviation electronics, engines and other aircraft • 3,000,000lbs of travel, when it became the first non-govern-mental components from being affected by the dust and sand structural steel manned rocket ship to fly beyond the earth’s atmosphere.
    [Show full text]
  • Final EA for the Launch and Reentry of Spaceshiptwo Reusable Suborbital Rockets at the Mojave Air and Space Port
    Final Environmental Assessment for the Launch and Reentry of SpaceShipTwo Reusable Suborbital Rockets at the Mojave Air and Space Port May 2012 HQ-121575 DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Aviation Administration Office of Commercial Space Transportation; Finding of No Significant Impact AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ACTION: Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) SUMMARY: The FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation (AST) prepared a Final Environmental Assessment (EA) in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA; 42 United States Code 4321 et seq.), Council on Environmental Quality NEPA implementing regulations (40 Code of Federal Regulations parts 1500 to 1508), and FAA Order 1050.1E, Change 1, Environmental Impacts: Policies and Procedures, to evaluate the potential environmental impacts of issuing experimental permits and/or launch licenses to operate SpaceShipTwo reusable suborbital rockets and WhiteKnightTwo carrier aircraft at the Mojave Air and Space Port in Mojave, California. After reviewing and analyzing currently available data and information on existing conditions and the potential impacts of the Proposed Action, the FAA has determined that issuing experimental permits and/or launch licenses to operate SpaceShipTwo and WhiteKnightTwo at the Mojave Air and Space Port would not significantly impact the quality of the human environment. Therefore, preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement is not required, and the FAA is issuing this FONSI. The FAA made this determination in accordance with all applicable environmental laws. The Final EA is incorporated by reference in this FONSI. FOR A COPY OF THE EA AND FONSI: Visit the following internet address: http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/environmental/review/permits/ or contact Daniel Czelusniak, Environmental Program Lead, Federal Aviation Administration, 800 Independence Ave., SW, Suite 325, Washington, DC 20591; email [email protected]; or phone (202) 267-5924.
    [Show full text]
  • Northrop Grumman
    Northrop Grumman Northrop Grumman Corporation Type Public (NYSE: NOC) 1927 (in 1994, company took on Founded current name), Denver, Colorado Headquarters Los Angeles, California Ronald Sugar, Chairman and Key people CEO Industry Aerospace and defense Aircraft carriers, military aircraft, satellites, missile defense Products systems, advanced electronic sensors and systems, Information Technology, ships, and systems Revenue $30.15 Billion USD (2006) Net income $1.59 Billion USD (2006) Employees 123,600 (2007) Website NorthropGrumman.com Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) is an aerospace and defense conglomerate that is the result of the 1994 purchase of Grumman by Northrop. The company is the third largest defense contractor for the U.S. military[1], and the number-one builder of naval vessels. Northrop Grumman employs over 122,000 people worldwide[2]. Its 2006 annual revenue is reported at US$30 billion. Northrop Grumman ranks #73 on the 2007 Fortune 500 list of U.S. industrial companies.[3] Products and services Some of the most expensive vehicles in the world, such as this B-2 Spirit strategic bomber, are made by Northrop Grumman and purchased by the United States government. Naval 1 Northrop Grumman's many products are made by separate business units. Newport News Shipbuilding manufactures all U.S. aircraft carriers, and is the only company capable of building Nimitz-class supercarriers. It also produces a large percentage of U.S. nuclear submarines. A separate sector, Northrop Grumman Ship Systems, produces amphibious assault ships and many other commercial and military craft, including icebreakers, tankers, and cargo ships. In a partnership with Science Applications International Corporation, Northrop Grumman provides naval engineering and architecture services as well as naval maintenance services Aerospace A BQM-74 Chukar unmanned aerial drone launches from a U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • U.S. Human Space Flight Safety Record As of July 20, 2021
    U.S. Human Space Flight Safety Record (As of 20 July 2021) Launch Type Total # of Total # People Total # of Total # of People on Died or Human Space Catastrophic Space Flight Seriously Flights Failures6 Injured3 Orbital (Total) 9271 17 1664 3 Suborbital 2332 3 2135 2 (Total) Total 1160 20 379 5 § 460.45(c) An operator must inform each space flight participant of the safety record of all launch or reentry vehicles that have carried one or more persons on board, including both U.S. government and private sector vehicles. This information must include— (1) The total number of people who have been on a suborbital or orbital space flight and the total number of people who have died or been seriously injured on these flights; and (2) The total number of launches and reentries conducted with people on board and the number of catastrophic failures of those launches and reentries. Federal Aviation Administration AST Commercial Space Transportation Footnotes 1. People on orbital space flights include Mercury (Atlas) (4), Gemini (20), Apollo (36), Skylab (9), Space Shuttle (852), and Crew Dragon (6) a. Occupants are counted even if they flew on only the launch or reentry portion. The Space Shuttle launched 817 humans and picked up 35 humans from MIR and the International Space Station. b. Occupants are counted once reentry is complete. 2. People on suborbital space flights include X-15 (169), M2 (24), Mercury (Redstone) (2), SpaceShipOne (5), SpaceShipTwo (29), and New Shepard System (4) a. Only occupants on the rocket-powered space bound vehicles are counted per safety record criterion #11.
    [Show full text]
  • Aerospace-America-April-2019.Pdf
    17–21 JUNE 2019 DALLAS, TX SHAPING THE FUTURE OF FLIGHT The 2019 AIAA AVIATION Forum will explore how rapidly changing technology, new entrants, and emerging trends are shaping a future of flight that promises to be strikingly different from the modern global transportation built by our pioneers. Help shape the future of flight at the AIAA AVIATION Forum! PLENARY & FORUM 360 SESSIONS Hear from industry leaders and innovators including Christopher Emerson, President and Head, North America Region, Airbus Helicopters, and Greg Hyslop, Chief Technology Officer, The Boeing Company. Keynote speakers and panelists will discuss vertical lift, autonomy, hypersonics, and more. TECHNICAL PROGRAM More than 1,100 papers will be presented, giving you access to the latest research and development on technical areas including applied aerodynamics, fluid dynamics, and air traffic operations. NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES The forum offers daily networking opportunities to connect with over 2,500 attendees from across the globe representing hundreds of government, academic, and private institutions. Opportunities to connect include: › ADS Banquet (NEW) › AVIATION 101 (NEW) › Backyard BBQ (NEW) › Exposition Hall › Ignite the “Meet”ing (NEW) › Meet the Employers Recruiting Event › Opening Reception › Student Welcome Reception › The HUB Register now aviation.aiaa.org/register FEATURES | APRIL 2019 MORE AT aerospaceamerica.aiaa.org The U.S. Army’s Kestrel Eye prototype cubesat after being released from the International Space Station. NASA 18 30 40 22 3D-printing solid Seeing the far Managing Getting out front on rocket fuel side of the moon drone traffi c Researchers China’s Chang’e-4 Package delivery alone space technology say additive “opens up a new could put thousands manufacturing is scientifi c frontier.” of drones into the sky, U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • Burt Rutan Got His Educational Start at Cal Poly
    California Polytechnic State University Sept. 29, 2004 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Teresa Hendrix Public Affairs (805) 756-7266 Media Advisory: Burt Rutan Got His Educational Start at Cal Poly To: News, science, higher education, engineering and feature writers and editors From: Cal Poly -- California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, California Re: SpaceShipOne designer, Voyager designer Burt Rutan If you are working on biography stories or feature stories about aeronautical design pioneer Burt Rutan, you may want to mention Rutan is a graduate of Cal Poly’s nationally-recognized College of Engineering. Burt Rutan graduated from Cal Poly in 1965 with a bachelor’s degree in aeronautical engineering. His Senior Project won the national student paper competition of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics that year. Rutan was awarded Cal Poly's first honorary doctorate in 1987. Rutan's SpaceShipOne made history again this morning (Sept. 29) attaining a height of 67 miles during a flight over the Mojave Desert. Piloted by Mike Melvill, SpaceShipOne again landed safely. Watch the launch on the Ansari X-Prize Web site:http://web1-xprize.primary.net/launch.php Read about it in the Los Angeles Times. In its maiden spaceflight n June 2004, the craft landed safely in the Mojave Desert after flying into space, reaching an altitude of 62.5 miles. Rutan has partnered with Microsoft's Paul Allen to create the first private aircraft to travel into space in a quest to claim the $10 million prize in the Ansari X-Flight competition. This week, British billionaire Richard Branson announced plans to buy a fleet of Rutan's aircraft to begin offering commercial flights to the edge of space.
    [Show full text]
  • Evidence Review – Environmental Innovation Prizes for Development
    Evidence Review – Environmental Innovation Prizes for Development DEW Point Enquiry No. A0405 A Report by Bryony Everett With support from Chris Barnett and Radha Verma Peer Review by William Masters July 2011 Acknowledgements We would like to thank all the interviewees detailed in Annex 1 for their time and support in providing us with their insights and information, without which we would not have been able to produce this report. Particular thanks go to Erika, Jaison and Will. Disclaimer This report is commissioned under DEW Point, the DFID Resource Centre for Environment, Water and Sanitation, which is managed by a consortium of companies led by Harewelle International Limited1. Although the report is commissioned by DFID, the views expressed in the report are entirely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent DFID’s own views or policies, or those of DEW Point. Comments and discussion on items related to content and opinion should be addressed to the author, via the “Contact and correspondence” address e-mail or website, as indicated in the control document above. 1 Consortium comprises Harewelle International Limited, DD International, Practical Action Consulting, Cranfield University and AEA Energy and Environment Table of Contents Evidence Review – Environmental Innovation Prizes for Development Summary .................................................................................................................................... 1 Introduction .............................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Virgin Spacecraft Prototype Soars Over Mojave, Testing Re-Entry System 10 October 2014, by Elizabeth Howell
    Virgin spacecraft prototype soars over Mojave, testing re-entry system 10 October 2014, by Elizabeth Howell closer." It's been a long road to space for Virgin Galactic, which last week commemorated the 10th anniversary of the predecessor prototype spacecraft (SpaceShipOne) making a second flight into suborbital space Oct. 4, 2004, to win the Ansari X-Prize—the anniversary of Yuri Gagarin's first human spaceflight in 1961. The spacecraft was built by Scaled Composites and today is on display at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. Scaled Composites founder Burt Rutan subsequently designed SpaceShipTwo, but has since retired. Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo lands after its 54th test flight on Oct. 7, 2014. Credit: Scaled Composites / Jason Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson has DiVenere pushed back the first spaceflight of the new spacecraft several times over the years. In recent statements he has said he was hoping the spacecraft would be ready early next year, but in an Virgin Galactic has finished yet another stepping- NBC news report from last week he simply said stone to its first commercial spaceflight. The New SpaceShipTwo is "on the verge" of starting flights. Mexico-based company sent SpaceShipTwo aloft on a test of the re-entry system Oct. 7, making a safe landing at the Mojave Air and Space Port. The company is among a handful of firms competing to bring well-heeled tourists into suborbital space. There are more than 700 people signed up to take a flight on SpaceShipTwo, with tickets running at $250,000 per seat.
    [Show full text]