SpaceShipOne flies sixth glide test
Posted: Wed, Nov 26, 2003, 8:45 AM ET (1345 GMT)
SpaceShipOne (SS1), the suborbital reusable spacecraft under development by Scaled Composites, made its sixth glide test late last week, the second such glide test in as many weeks. The test took place on Friday, November 19, and was reported on the Scaled web site earlier this week. The glide test was similar to the one performed the prior week, this time with Mike Melvill as the pilot. SS1 separated from its carrier aircraft, White Knight, at an altitude of about 14,600 meters and landed at Mojave Airport in California 12 and a half minutes later. One difference from prior flights is that the landing pattern was flown at a higher airspeed than past flights, allowing for a more controlled flare and landing. The company has offered no hints regarding when the project will start powered test flights, let alone make an actual bid to win the X Prize.
SpaceShipOne (SS1), the suborbital reusable spacecraft under development by Scaled Composites, made its sixth glide test late last week, the second such glide test in as many weeks. The test took place on Friday, November 19, and was reported on the Scaled web site earlier this week. The glide test was similar to the one performed the prior week, this time with Mike Melvill as the pilot. SS1 separated from its carrier aircraft, White Knight, at an altitude of about 14,600 meters and landed at Mojave Airport in California 12 and a half minutes later. One difference from prior flights is that the landing pattern was flown at a higher airspeed than past flights, allowing for a more controlled flare and landing. The company has offered no hints regarding when the project will start powered test flights, let alone make an actual bid to win the X Prize.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
|
|
news links
|
|
Monday, April 7
Colorado-made spaceplane, Dream Chaser, nearly ready for liftoff after decades of development
Colorado Springs Gazette — 6:13 am ET (1013 GMT) SpaceX, ULA, Blue Origin land $13.7 billion in national security launches
Orlando Sentinel — 6:11 am ET (1011 GMT) SpaceX targets Monday afternoon for launch of Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg
KSBY-TV San Luis Obispo, CA — 6:09 am ET (1009 GMT) SpaceX Is Still Big Locally
Los Angeles Business Journal — 6:09 am ET (1009 GMT) Canadian firm KA Imaging claims first X-ray image taken in space
Canadian Press — 6:07 am ET (1007 GMT) |
