Posted on 06/21/2005 5:38:47 PM PDT by KevinDavis
The X-37 -- an unpiloted, reusable spaceplane – made its first captive-carry flight today under the wings of the White Knight, flying above Mojave, California desert.
The Boeing, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), NASA-supported vehicle had undergone a systematic step-by-step pre-flight checkout.
At the Mojave, California Spaceport Scaled Composites' White Knight carrier plane had previously taken the X-37 for repeated runs down the runway – all in preparation for today's liftoff and return landing of the twosome.
Tagged by DARPA as an Approach and Landing Test Vehicle (ALTV), the X-37 will undergo captive carry flights, followed by high-altitude drop tests through the summer, according to DARPA spokesperson, Jan Walker.
The X-37 project is exploring commercial and military reusable space vehicle market applications, be they on-orbit satellite repair to the next-generation of totally reusable launch vehicles.
Today's flight of the White Knight/X-37 took place early this morning. It was one year ago to the day that the White Knight released SpaceShipOne for its first suborbital run, piloted by Mike Melville.
Designed by Scaled Composites, the multi-purpose White Knight was used to haul that firm's SpaceShipOne to altitude for release. The rocket plane made a series of piloted suborbital flights last year, winning the Ansari X Prize of $10 million for back-to-back suborbital flights.
No official word as yet on when the first drop of the X-37 from the White Knight is slated
Thanks for another great post Kevin.
He is... People like him is what made America great..
Sure thing....
The man is doing what NASA said couldn't be done.
This space shot proves that such extreme accomplishments do not take billions of dollars and years of work.
We have a road here in Colorado that connects a mountain gambling town to the freeway. It is 9 miles of road that required blasting almost the entire length of it. Colorado Dept Or Trans (CDOT) said it would take many years and hundreds of millions to do. A private company did it in 1 year and for a few tens of millions.
I hadn't realized the White Knight was as big as it is. This is a fairly good sized vehicle that it's carrying aloft.
I also thought it was a great idea to launch one that one year anniversary. It almost assured that the othe project would get an honorable mention too.
Can't get too much good press.
Can you imagine if Howard Hughes was still alive and sane??
Rockslide could keep section of US Highway 6 closed for days
Created: 6/21/2005 11:41 AM MDT - Updated: 6/21/2005 6:23 PM MDT
GILPIN COUNTY - A 200-ton rockslide 10 miles west of Golden closed US Highway 6 through Clear Creek Canyon Tuesday and the highway department says it could be several days before the mess is cleared.
The slide happened just before noon. It is 15 feet high in some areas and as wide as a football field. A few of the boulders that came tumbling down the steep hillside were as large as a minivan.
"That's a pretty good sized rockslide and it's going to take time to clean up," said Mindy Crane, with the Colorado Department of Transportation. "We're asking motorists to be patient, it's an act of Mother Nature."
Two semis were hit by the slide as they were driving. One of the semi drivers was taken to St. Anthony's Central Hospital, treated and released.
http://kusa.com/acm_news.aspx?OSGNAME=KUSA&IKOBJECTID=9ffd9f59-0abe-421a-00f2-60ca832489f5&TEMPLATEID=0c76dce6-ac1f-02d8-0047-c589c01ca7bf
"Can you imagine if Howard Hughes was still alive..."
If you havn't seen the aviator, you should rent it tonight. Howard Hughes was a dreamer. He dreamed the impossible, and then made it happen.
Holtz
JeffersonRepublic.com
And not for NASA's lack of trying. Since the early days of the Klinton administration, NASA has systematically spiked or sabotaged every single private spaceflight venture through a veritable bag of dirty tricks.
Burt Rutan is the one man that NASA couldn't stop or barricade.
I'm sure the Russians could do it cheaper.
I did and I think he would pursue private space travel if was alive and sane...
Not to be a poop, but Burt Rutan's plane are not exactly orbital vehicles. The step up to that is pretty tough. And to put a serious package in orbit 3-5 tons is really tough.
I admire Mr Rutan a lot, and I hope it shakes NASA up, but Burt is a long way from some of the really big boosters we have now.
"NASA has systematically spiked or sabotaged every single private spaceflight"
Very true. Look at what the government did to the venture star. Any kind of joint partnership with NASA is a death sentence, and Mr. Rutan should be very careful on the investment he makes in the X-37 or anyother NASA projects.
Holtz
JeffersonRepublic.com
Exactly. US 6 was near impossible to widen or really improve much, but CDOT refused to create the new highway. CDOT said it was too steep.
In this case, it appears that all Rutan is doing is being a transport contractor. He apparently doesn't have any illusions about NASA, either.
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