First Private Space Flight

[Kenas]

I am surprised no one mentioned this ... hopefully this is the first step towards de-monopolization of NASA and progress in space traveling innovations. Hurrah for the success.
Link (http://www.technewsworld.com/story/34635.html) :cheers:

[DarkFury]

Heh... this reminds me of the old movie "Salvage 1" where they built a spaceship out of junkyard parts to go to the moon to salvage all the leftover "salvage from previous moon missions"... featuring Andy Griffith.

Yeah... I know that most young'uns probably never even heard of this "made for TV movie". :hihi:

[Jenny]

Actually, OC mentioned it in one of his posts. ;)

[chrissy]

Heh... this reminds me of the old movie "Salvage 1" where they built a spaceship out of junkyard parts to go to the moon to salvage all the leftover "salvage from previous moon missions"... featuring Andy Griffith.

Yeah... I know that most young'uns probably never even heard of this "made for TV movie". :hihi:

no, no the movie was Explorers!!!

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089114/

[bachviet]

I don't think I could afford a ticket out of space for a while.

[DarkFury]

no, no the movie was Explorers!!!

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089114/
Umm no.. it was Salvage 1...

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078681/

[chrissy]

Umm no.. it was Salvage 1...

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078681/

:P

I liked Explorers more

:)

[DarkFury]

:P

I liked Explorers more

:)

Ok... fine. Be that way. :D I prefer Star Trek and Star Wars. :hihi:

[chrissy]

Ok... fine. Be that way. :D I prefer Star Trek and Star Wars. :hihi:


k, but what do you like more, Star Trek OR Star Wars?

[Hiro]

This type of issue and it's implications are brought up in a book called Deception Point by Dan Brown. Same author as "The Da Vinci Code." Good book, but he made some points that I thought were interesting.

For example, how long until we start seeing billboards that hover on the brink of the O-Zone so we can see them at all hours of the night?

[ialsohaveadream]

I am surprised no one mentioned this ... hopefully this is the first step towards de-monopolization of NASA and progress in space traveling innovations.

:laugh: De-monopolization? That's kinda like hoping for the de-monopolization of the re-usable toilet paper industry. There's a reason nobody else was in the business of space travel, and it has to do much more with money (and complete lack of profitability) than government.

Today's flight alone was estimated at about $20 million. It's not like a movie where 10 million people can pay $9 each to fly on it.

[DarkFury]

k, but what do you like more, Star Trek OR Star Wars?
Dayuum... now THAT's a hard question, cause I like em both.

But I probably get more excited about Star Wars since it doesn't come around quite as often. :D

[Kenas]

This type of issue and it's implications are brought up in a book called Deception Point by Dan Brown. Same author as "The Da Vinci Code." Good book, but he made some points that I thought were interesting.

For example, how long until we start seeing billboards that hover on the brink of the O-Zone so we can see them at all hours of the night?
Ehh, in NYC you can look at the sky all you want, you won't see anything anyway :)


:laugh: De-monopolization? That's kinda like hoping for the de-monopolization of the re-usable toilet paper industry. There's a reason nobody else was in the business of space travel, and it has to do much more with money (and complete lack of profitability) than government.

Today's flight alone was estimated at about $20 million. It's not like a movie where 10 million people can pay $9 each to fly on it.

If you think there is no demand for space travel, you’re a fool. We’ve got thousands of people willing to pay a big buck just to see the earth from its orbit. If you think that $20 million that was invested into this project is a lot, think of Dennis Tito who paid as much to travel once to the Russian space station. If this SpaceShipOne project succeeds and can prove its reusability then hypothetically you can fly two people at a time plus the pilot for an hour an a half at let’s say $1 million a person, the breakeven point will be reach within 10 fights, excluding all the overhead costs. As the competition intensifies and I guarantee you it will, soon enough (unless the government puts the brakes on the project as usual), the flights will become cheaper and better. What do you think this X Prize project is all about?
Just think of the military monopoly on the internet approximately 20 years ago … see what it came to today. And let me assure you that at that point, there was close to zero demand for it.

[ialsohaveadream]

If you think there is no demand for space travel, you’re a fool. We’ve got thousands of people willing to pay a big buck just to see the earth from its orbit. If you think that $20 million that was invested into this project is a lot, think of Dennis Tito who paid as much to travel once to the Russian space station. If this SpaceShipOne project succeeds and can prove its reusability then hypothetically you can fly two people at a time plus the pilot for an hour an a half at let’s say $1 million a person, the breakeven point will be reach within 10 fights, excluding all the overhead costs. As the competition intensifies and I guarantee you it will, soon enough (unless the government puts the brakes on the project as usual), the flights will become cheaper and better. What do you think this X Prize project is all about?
Just think of the military monopoly on the internet approximately 20 years ago … see what it came to today. And let me assure you that at that point, there was close to zero demand for it.

The reason there wasn't private investment in space flight for years wasn't some vast government conspiracy. That's what I took your first post to mean. And darpanet was, I'm guessing, kept secure for national security more than anything else. I don't think that pets.com and the NASDAQ bubble are what it was intended for. That was just a hilarious consequence for those of us without a 401k at the time.

[Hiro]

Ehh, in NYC you can look at the sky all you want, you won't see anything anyway :)

You completely missed the point.

[Booyamos]

i think it is a step in the right direction. Yes it is ridiculously expensive, that is why only governments send people into space. Private companies do space launches for satellites etc, it will just take a lot longer to have private space flights become something people can afford.
Now of course there will be the million/billionares who have money to burn, but i for one would like in my life time the chance to go into space, and i don't think NASA is going to hook me up. ATM it is EXPENSIVE, DANGEROUS and well EXPENSIVE!

So i am all for Paul Allen and those types spending money to fund these things. I think it is great and i have been all for NASA for a while. The amount of technology that comes out of the space program is crazy. During the moon landing every $1 million spent came back out with $6 million in industry. the CD, computers, all of them helped out by NASA. /nasa praising off

Woo go space

[Kenas]

You completely missed the point.

No, I didn't ... I don't know what Dan Brown wrote, but if there is anyone out there who is willing and able to put those billboards in the ozone layer without any harm to the nature, I am all for it.

[molecularfire]

No, I didn't ... I don't know what Dan Brown wrote, but if there is anyone out there who is willing and able to put those billboards in the ozone layer without any harm to the nature, I am all for it.
Wait until they start spamming porn all over the ozone.