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In an article by
Space.com, Rutan stated that his rocket was seen as a
"toy" by the larger aeronautics
industry.
Yet, his toy has
sustained very little damage in reaching space, and it
has achieved its goals using cheaper and simpler
technologies than industry giants.
While SpaceShipOne
might not be elegant, its simple effectiveness inspires
possibility.
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White
Knight, SpaceShipOne's carrier plane, and SpaceShipOne
minutes before the historic flight in the Mojave Desert.
(See more
pictures)
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And, Rutan's toy has
already inspired SpaceShipTwo. Recently, Rutan told
Space's, Leonard David, "Wait 'til you see
SpaceShipTwo...it is erotic."
Rutan is predicting an
explosion in the private space race this decade, and if you
buy Rutan's vision, orbital space will be as common as
long distance air travel in just 20 years.
X-Prize moves on
The X-Prize announced
that it will become an annual event - hosted
in New Mexico - called the X-Prize Cup.
International Fuel
Technologies has announced that it would be a sponsor of
the event.
The first X-Prize Cup
will start in 2005. Multimillion dollar prizes are again
expected for some events. The contest is still a bit
open-ended at this time. Aside from space issues, the
X-Prize Cup will also deal with other societal issues,
such as transportation, nanotechnology, aging
deceleration, and education.
More information at
http://www.wtnxprize.org
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