pic: Spaceshipone

[Max Lobovsky]

Originally Posted by Alan Anderson

The competition is intended to help "jump-start" the application of technology to non-government spaceflight. A prize-winning design will almost certainly be inappropriate for paying passengers, but it will be a good step on the way to a commercial spacecraft. By the way, The Spirit of St. Louis wasn't "that lucrative enough for" transatlantic passenger service, and it barely held one person.

Thank you Alan, that's exactly what i was trying to say. Space tourism is by no means the goal.

[seanwitte]

Rutan's group is clearly the front-runner, but I've been keeping an eye on Armadillo as well. www.armadilloaerospace.com John Carmack was one of the founders of ID Software, now he and his team are building a VTOL hydrogen peroxide rocket. They had a manned flight on their test platform last year but recently switched from a differential engine configuration to single engine with jet vanes. He posts detailed updates every Monday with photos and video.

[Adam Y.]

Thank you Alan, that's exactly what i was trying to say. Space tourism is by no means the goal.

I honestly hope it isn't. I can imagine the logistics nightmare that would ensue with a space tourism industry. It would be horrible and the fact that any ship in orbit would be in constant danger. There is the equivalent of a thousand little bullets floating around up there.