This is getting major media attention. There are a number of naysayers of course, and they may be ignored. This is a long ways from circular orbit, but any orbit will do.
I intend to ignore the naysayers.
> This is a long ways from circular orbit,
> but any orbit will do.
It's not any sort of orbit or fraction thereof.
This is a pretty much straight up & down shot,
highly tuned to meet the requirements of the X-prize.
It presents about the most benign "re-entry" possible.
Something that could duplicate Sheppard's flight, or
even the X-15, would look very different. Rutan's
next spacecraft will doubtless look much different.