SpaceShipOne reaches space
Updated: Mon, Jun 21, 2004, 4:23 PM ET (2023 GMT)
Originally Posted: Mon, Jun 21, 2004, 1:26 PM ET (1726 GMT)
The suborbital RLV SpaceShipOne launched early Monday and just barely succeeded in crossing the 100-km boundary of space. SpaceShipOne separated from its White Knight carrier aircraft at about 10:50 am EDT (1450 GMT), one hour after takeoff from Mojave Airport in California. The vehicle's engines burned for about 80 seconds accelerating the vehicle to the edge of space. At a press conference after the flight SpaceShipOne designer Burt Rutan said that the vehicle exceeded the 100-km boundary of space by less than 125 meters. The vehicle suffered a problem with an actuator that controls its roll trim system during the flight, causing the vehicle to go over 30 km off-course and causing the vehicle to undershoot its planned altitude of about 110 km. The vehicle also suffered damage to a fairing that surrounds the underside of the vehicle's engine nozzle. Rutan said the problem was most likely with the new fairing, and not a problem with the rocket motor. Rutan added that additional analysis of the flight data will be needed before they can decide whether their next test flight will be a bid for the Ansari X Prize.
Originally Posted: Mon, Jun 21, 2004, 1:26 PM ET (1726 GMT)
The suborbital RLV SpaceShipOne launched early Monday and just barely succeeded in crossing the 100-km boundary of space. SpaceShipOne separated from its White Knight carrier aircraft at about 10:50 am EDT (1450 GMT), one hour after takeoff from Mojave Airport in California. The vehicle's engines burned for about 80 seconds accelerating the vehicle to the edge of space. At a press conference after the flight SpaceShipOne designer Burt Rutan said that the vehicle exceeded the 100-km boundary of space by less than 125 meters. The vehicle suffered a problem with an actuator that controls its roll trim system during the flight, causing the vehicle to go over 30 km off-course and causing the vehicle to undershoot its planned altitude of about 110 km. The vehicle also suffered damage to a fairing that surrounds the underside of the vehicle's engine nozzle. Rutan said the problem was most likely with the new fairing, and not a problem with the rocket motor. Rutan added that additional analysis of the flight data will be needed before they can decide whether their next test flight will be a bid for the Ansari X Prize.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
Starship explodes during preparations for static-fire test
Posted: Sun, Jun 22 6:52 AM ET (1052 GMT) |
|
news links
|
|
Friday, July 4
Boeing to Release Second Quarter Results on July 29
Boeing — 9:42 am ET (1342 GMT) Boeing Delivers Next-Generation O3b mPOWER Satellites to SES
Boeing — 9:42 am ET (1342 GMT) Boeing Secures $2.8B Contract to Enhance U.S. Strategic SATCOM Capabilities
Boeing — 9:41 am ET (1341 GMT) Space Force picks Boeing for $2.8B strategic communications program
Defense News — 9:41 am ET (1341 GMT) The Inevitable Militarization Of Space?
Eurasia Review — 9:40 am ET (1340 GMT) |
