On Tue, Jun 08, 2004 at 03:30:55PM -0500, John Carmack wrote:
> At this point, since it looks likely that Burt is going to win the X-Prize,
> we are going to stay focused on the 12" engines and waivered flights
> without a launch license until one of the commercial spaceports actually
> gets their environmental work done so we can bypass paying WSMR $1 mil+ for
> doing our flight tests there. If Burt crashes or otherwise fails in his
> attempt this month, we may consider racing at it, but there probably isn't
> enough time in any case.
"It ain't over 'til the fat lady sings." - old saying
While Burt may be first to 100 km, the flight on the 21st is NOT an X
Prize flight. It's a systems test flight to prove out the vehicle. I
observe that if he's successful, he can make his 30-day advance notice
for the first of two X Prize flights that day, with the earliest date
being July 20th - a date that has some historical significance if I
recall. If he's successful on that date, he then has until Aug 4th to
do the second X Prize flight before he can actually win. And this all
assumes nothing goes wrong. Burt himself has said (in 1996) that if
someone doesn't at least get hurt going for this we're not pushing
hard enough. Anything can happen. Let's keep the pressure on and keep
pushing until the check clears somebody's bank account.
Michael
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Michael Wallis KF6SPF (408) 396-9037 [EMAIL PROTECTED]
"And I keep praying that this faith we hold in common keeps showing up
in the good things we do, and that people recognize Christ in all of
it." Philemon 1:6
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