Aces High Bulletin Board

General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: JBA on October 04, 2004, 11:12:06 AM

Title: X Prize "has been WON!!!"
Post by: JBA on October 04, 2004, 11:12:06 AM
http://abcnews.go.com/wire/US/ap20041004_751.html
Title: X Prize "has been WON!!!"
Post by: rpm on October 04, 2004, 11:15:17 AM
Rutan and his band of merry men strike again. I remember Pan-Am selling reservations for moonflights. Kinda spooky you might be able to use them now.
Title: X Prize "has been WON!!!"
Post by: Nilsen on October 04, 2004, 11:19:53 AM
one step further, but still along way to go until us mere mortals gets to go into real orbit (unless you use a bong) :)
Title: X Prize "has been WON!!!"
Post by: Yeager on October 04, 2004, 11:20:14 AM
WTG!

Was the competition closed to europeans?

:rofl
Title: X Prize "has been WON!!!"
Post by: Ripsnort on October 04, 2004, 11:21:58 AM
Quote
Originally posted by Yeager
WTG!

Was the competition closed to europeans?

:rofl

:rofl
Title: X Prize "has been WON!!!"
Post by: rpm on October 04, 2004, 11:23:24 AM
I'm pretty sure there was a Canadian and a Euro group, both close to first flight. They didn't have the funding Rutan did. Weren't the Canadians using a baloon?
Title: X Prize "has been WON!!!"
Post by: spitfiremkv on October 04, 2004, 11:25:30 AM
Quote
Originally posted by rpm371
Rutan and his band of merry men strike again. I remember Pan-Am selling reservations for moonflights. Kinda spooky you might be able to use them now.



I think Virgin is your best bet now...they are licensing the SS1 technology and will send tourists into space in a few years.
Title: X Prize "has been WON!!!"
Post by: RTStuka on October 04, 2004, 11:33:11 AM
Quote
Originally posted by Yeager
WTG!

Was the competition closed to europeans?

:rofl


Well from what I understand they were going to allow the europeans to compete, but fears that the french would reach space first was a little unnerving. Apparently everyone was worried that if they got there ahead of everyone else they would surrender planet earth to the first aliens they saw.
Title: X Prize "has been WON!!!"
Post by: Ripsnort on October 04, 2004, 11:35:46 AM
Quote
Originally posted by RTStuka
Well from what I understand they were going to allow the europeans to compete, but fears that the french would reach space first was a little unnerving. Apparently everyone was worried that if they got there ahead of everyone else they would surrender planet earth to the first aliens they saw.


:rofl
Title: X Prize "has been WON!!!"
Post by: CyranoAH on October 04, 2004, 02:11:24 PM
Screw Bush and Kerry, Rutan for President!!! :D

Daniel
Title: X Prize "has been WON!!!"
Post by: Curval on October 04, 2004, 02:34:34 PM
Umm...frankly having Rutan run for President bodes ill for the US economy.

Could someone please tell me how much was spent to earn this $10million?

I'm willing to bet it was upwards of $50Million.

It is kind of like the old adage:

To make $1million in the Jazz business you need to invest $2million.

;)
Title: X Prize "has been WON!!!"
Post by: Octavius on October 04, 2004, 02:37:22 PM
Who cares, at this rate, we'll be in the star trek universe without any currency in no time! :cool:
Title: X Prize "has been WON!!!"
Post by: RTStuka on October 04, 2004, 02:38:42 PM
Quote
Originally posted by Curval
Umm...frankly having Rutan run for President bodes ill for the US economy.

Could someone please tell me how much was spent to earn this $10million?

I'm willing to bet it was upwards of $50Million.

It is kind of like the old adage:

To make $1million in the Jazz business you need to invest $2million.

;)



Well I dont know how accurate it is but in an interview with Rutan last night he said that by winning the 10million dollar prize they would be getting back 40% of what was spent on the project.
Title: X Prize "has been WON!!!"
Post by: Curval on October 04, 2004, 02:43:29 PM
Quote
Originally posted by RTStuka
Well I dont know how accurate it is but in an interview with Rutan last night he said that by winning the 10million dollar prize they would be getting back 40% of what was spent on the project.


Okay, so it cost $25million if his figures are right.
Title: X Prize "has been WON!!!"
Post by: RTStuka on October 04, 2004, 02:46:50 PM
That would be correct, and im sure he was pretty certain of his comment.
Title: X Prize "has been WON!!!"
Post by: midnight Target on October 04, 2004, 02:49:33 PM
Those Google guys are pretty hip..
(http://www.google.com/logos/xprize.gif)
Title: X Prize "has been WON!!!"
Post by: Ripsnort on October 04, 2004, 03:22:24 PM
Quote
Originally posted by Curval
Umm...frankly having Rutan run for President bodes ill for the US economy.

Could someone please tell me how much was spent to earn this $10million?

I'm willing to bet it was upwards of $50Million.

It is kind of like the old adage:

To make $1million in the Jazz business you need to invest $2million.

;)


He's certainly secured orders for future craft if the exposure is needed. From a marketing standpoint, that "difference" between the money spent and money from the prize was probably some of the cheapest advertisement for his existing line of aircraft.  Ingenious!
Title: X Prize "has been WON!!!"
Post by: Otto on October 04, 2004, 03:28:48 PM
Great job....!

  Just shows what Free Enterprise can do.   NASA couldn't buy lunch for what Rutan spent to reach Space.
Title: X Prize "has been WON!!!"
Post by: Curval on October 04, 2004, 04:44:17 PM
Quote
Originally posted by Ripsnort
He's certainly secured orders for future craft if the exposure is needed. From a marketing standpoint, that "difference" between the money spent and money from the prize was probably some of the cheapest advertisement for his existing line of aircraft.  Ingenious!


Don't count those chickens just yet (the road to have this commercially viable is a long and bumpy one), but you are right.

Otto too...if this was a government job it would have been well over my estimates.
Title: X Prize "has been WON!!!"
Post by: Scootter on October 04, 2004, 04:44:38 PM
I saw a shot of  Space Ship One being pulled of the runway with an American pick up truck, Priceless I tell you.

Lets see NASA use a few more pick up trucks.


Only in America :D
Title: X Prize "has been WON!!!"
Post by: Ripsnort on October 04, 2004, 04:46:50 PM
Quote
Originally posted by Curval
Don't count those chickens just yet (the road to have this commercially viable is a long and bumpy one), but you are right.

 
Uh, ahem, curval Ruttan has been selling commercial and private aviation for some time now.
http://www.rutanaircraft.com/htmlpages/rutancompany.html

I can see the adverts now...."Want to know how good our planes are?  Well some go to space!"

You  just can't get marketing as cheap as he just did.
Title: X Prize "has been WON!!!"
Post by: Curval on October 04, 2004, 04:53:13 PM
Very cool, I didn't realise that.

:aok
Title: X Prize "has been WON!!!"
Post by: schizer on October 04, 2004, 05:02:03 PM
Quote
Originally posted by Curval
Very cool, I didn't realise that.

:aok
 

Paul Allen co-founder of Microsoft financed the project, so the $10million wasnt even an issue, it was being the first and then liscensing the technology out.  Guess what Richard Branson of Virgin fame already announced that he would use the technology to make private spaceflights at 200k a ride.  His company is called Virgin Galactic.
Title: X Prize "has been WON!!!"
Post by: J_A_B on October 04, 2004, 08:31:02 PM
"Just shows what Free Enterprise can do. NASA couldn't buy lunch for what Rutan spent to reach Space."

Seems to me NASA was doing this back in the 1960's.  NASA had men on the moon less than 10 yeas after its first manned space flight.  Lets see if Free Enterprise can match that....40 years later.

J_A_B
Title: X Prize "has been WON!!!"
Post by: DREDIOCK on October 05, 2004, 01:17:13 AM
Quote
Originally posted by Curval
Umm...frankly having Rutan run for President bodes ill for the US economy.

Could someone please tell me how much was spent to earn this $10million?

I'm willing to bet it was upwards of $50Million.

It is kind of like the old adage:

To make $1million in the Jazz business you need to invest $2million.

;)


I beleive they said the cost was something like 25 milllion

slightly less then the rate of return on an average US government project reguardless of who is in office LOL
Title: X Prize "has been WON!!!"
Post by: DREDIOCK on October 05, 2004, 01:24:39 AM
Quote
Originally posted by J_A_B
"Just shows what Free Enterprise can do. NASA couldn't buy lunch for what Rutan spent to reach Space."

Seems to me NASA was doing this back in the 1960's.  NASA had men on the moon less than 10 yeas after its first manned space flight.  Lets see if Free Enterprise can match that....40 years later.

J_A_B


Probably. and probably at about half the cost too.

I can picture it now.

"Come stay at the moonside Hilton with a spectacular view of the earths depleateing Ozone layer. Get sunfried in notime at all in our new solar lounge. and dont forget your golfclubs for our driving range where the balls seem to fly forever. Experiance Tennis like never before in on our zero gravity state of the art tennis courts"
Title: X Prize "has been WON!!!"
Post by: CyranoAH on October 05, 2004, 01:39:44 AM
Oh and remember, on the moon, if you build a dome with oxygen in it, you can wear some kind of wings, flap your arms, and you'd be flying... amazing, ain't it? :)

Daniel
Title: X Prize "has been WON!!!"
Post by: rpm on October 05, 2004, 02:05:33 AM
Too bad there's no oil on the moon.
Title: X Prize "has been WON!!!"
Post by: CyranoAH on October 05, 2004, 03:29:49 AM
Hah! That's what THEY want you to believe!!

Did you know the flag they planted punctured an oil diposit sending the pole several hundred meters into the air?

You heard it here first.

Daniel
Title: X Prize "has been WON!!!"
Post by: Heater on October 05, 2004, 03:36:55 AM
10 Years from now... somewhere on the New Aces High 9.0


Voss....When I flew spaceship one on the 3rd flight.......



:D :D
Title: X Prize "has been WON!!!"
Post by: CyranoAH on October 05, 2004, 04:37:22 AM
Quote
Originally posted by Heater
10 Years from now... somewhere on the New Aces High 9.0


Voss....When I flew spaceship one on the 3rd flight.......



:D :D


With a swarm of killer bees locked in the cockpit with me...
Title: X Prize "has been WON!!!"
Post by: Maverick on October 05, 2004, 04:34:24 PM
Quote
Originally posted by CyranoAH
With a swarm of killer bees locked in the cockpit with me...


Not to mention the 3 cylon kills I made while doing it.......