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SpaceShipOne and White Knight are a privately funded and built re-usable space plane and lauch system.
SpaceShipOne launches much like the old X-15 research plane did: a larger craft carries the spaceplane up to 50,000 ft (15,240m) then does a drop/launch, whereupon the spaceplane lights its rocket engine.
Those into aeronautics know Rutan's Scaled Composites company as the most innovative in the aerospace business. That Rutan has come up with a complete spaceplane system is nothing short of amazing.
Scaled Composites also built the "Voyager", which flew around the world non-stop and without refueling a few years ago.
NO, the craft in the photos below are not mock-ups. They're the real deal.
Rutans private company came up with this in just a few years while NASA, ESA and Japan have been spending billions on systems that are still not much more than computer files or abandoned prototypes.
Test flights start this summer, eventually culminating in an attempt to capture "the X-Prize"....a $10,000,000 USD prize for achieving a sub-orbital flight at a height of >62 miles (100km). NASA gives astronaut wings for flights >50 miles (80.5km).
To say that NASA is interested would be a gross understatement.
Here's the pix;
SpaceShipOne - front quarter
SpaceShipOne - rear quarter
Takeoff configuration
White Knight test flight
Complete system
White Knight's cockpit
SpaceShipOne launch
Return configuration
FAQ's (edited for length)
You have to give it to Rutan....when he does something it's not half-assed or conventional.
Dr. Mordrid
SpaceShipOne launches much like the old X-15 research plane did: a larger craft carries the spaceplane up to 50,000 ft (15,240m) then does a drop/launch, whereupon the spaceplane lights its rocket engine.
Those into aeronautics know Rutan's Scaled Composites company as the most innovative in the aerospace business. That Rutan has come up with a complete spaceplane system is nothing short of amazing.
Scaled Composites also built the "Voyager", which flew around the world non-stop and without refueling a few years ago.
NO, the craft in the photos below are not mock-ups. They're the real deal.
Rutans private company came up with this in just a few years while NASA, ESA and Japan have been spending billions on systems that are still not much more than computer files or abandoned prototypes.
Test flights start this summer, eventually culminating in an attempt to capture "the X-Prize"....a $10,000,000 USD prize for achieving a sub-orbital flight at a height of >62 miles (100km). NASA gives astronaut wings for flights >50 miles (80.5km).
To say that NASA is interested would be a gross understatement.
Here's the pix;
SpaceShipOne - front quarter
SpaceShipOne - rear quarter
Takeoff configuration
White Knight test flight
Complete system
White Knight's cockpit
SpaceShipOne launch
Return configuration
FAQ's (edited for length)
VISION
What does Burt Rutan think of the other X-Prize designs?
Burt prefers to discuss this only after the X-Prize is won.
How long has Burt been working on all this?
The concept dates back to April 1996. Design work and some
limited testing was started 3.5 years ago. The full development program began in May 2001.
Is Burt Rutan going to ride in the vehicle?
Yes, as soon as the opportunity presents itself.
WHITE KNIGHT
How can you see where you're going?
The visibility is actually much better than you might imagine. By moving your head slightly you can piece together an acceptable picture of the outside world and maintain adequate "situational awareness". What is more difficult is spotting other airborne traffic. However, between radar advisories from ground controllers and an onboard traffic alert system called "Skywatch," this limitation is minimized.
Have there been any surprises during flight test?
Right from the start the White Knight has been one of Scaled's best handling aircraft. It has good control harmony and is surprisingly responsive for a large airplane. Despite its high wing, the airplane's dihedral effect (being able to pick up a wing with rudder only control) was too low. Therefore, winglets have been added.
SPACESHIPONE
What's with all those funny windows?
The windows need to be small to keep the weight of the vehicle down and they need to be round to minimize the structural loads. This configuration is also the least expensive to manufacture. Each portal consists of two windows to provide redundancy for the integrity of the pressure vessel should one window crack or fail. The number and location of the windows were selected to provide the pilot a view of the horizon throughout SpaceShipOne's mission profile.
How high do you go?
The goal is to get to 100 kilometers or about 62 miles up. This altitude was established by the X-Prize foundation as a target to stimulate commercial interest in the technology to achieve it. $10M will be awarded to the first team to make it before the end of 2004.
Why do you "fold" the wings to come back down?
The wings are folded up to provide a shuttle-cock or "feather" effect to help stabilize the vehicle for reentry. This configuration orients the vehicle to a belly first attitude that increases its drag and reduces its speed while coming back into the atmosphere thus helping to lessen the aerodynamic heating and reduce G-buildup.
Why isn't the pilot in a space suit?
You can think of the design of the cockpit with its dual seals and window panes as essentially a space worthy cockpit surrounded by a second outer space worthy shell. This redundancy eliminates the need for a space suit and allows the crew to operate and test the vehicle in comfort. Scaled's Proteus vehicle has a similar cockpit design and has over 1,000 flight hours in a "shirt sleeve" environment.
How does the pilot control the rocket?
Rocket controls are very simple. Two switches, one to Arm it and a second to Fire it. The avionics suite has a dedicated propulsion display that shows various critical motor parameters that can be monitored both by the pilot before launch and by a ground station during flight.
Can the pilot throttle the rocket?
No. There is no provision for the pilot to modulate the rocket thrust.
Has any other vehicle gone supersonic with manual flight controls?
Yes. Chuck Yeager's "Glamorous Glennis" or the Bell X-1 had manual flight controls. Like SpaceShip One it also had electric trim for supersonic flight.
Did you do wind tunnel testing?
No. All design refinements and performance predictions have been derived from Computational Fluid Dynamic tools.
PROPULSION
Why is it called a hybrid motor?
It is called a "hybrid" because it is has characteristics that utilize features from both solid and liquid rocket motors.
Who designed the rocket motor?
While hybrid motors are not new, the configuration utilized by SpaceShipOne is unique with its fuel case and nozzle cantilevered off the main oxidizer tank, which in turn, forms part of the vehicle's aft fuselage. Its largest components, the oxidizer tank and fuel casing, are Scaled-designed composite structure. The rocket hardware - fuel injectors, valves, controls, ignition systems and fuel characteristics - is being competed between two independent rocket companies.
What is the rocket's thrust and Isp?
As of April 2003 we are still competing two different rocket designs and we will not advertise any rocket performance data until after down-select and space flights have commenced.
What's the deal with laughing gas and rubber?
All rocket motors have some form of "fuel" and an "oxidizer". In solid rocket motors the oxidizer is embedded into the fuel (like an Estes rocket motor) and when lighted will burn until depleted. In liquid rockets the oxidizer is usually liquid oxygen and the fuel another liquid like hydrogen or kerosene. In our hybrid motor we use Nitrous Oxide (NO2 or laughing gas) as an oxidizer and hydroxy-terminated polybutadiene (HTPB or rubber) as the fuel. Both of these can be safely stored without special precautions and will not react when put together. Finally NO2 has the nice quality of self-pressurizing when at room temperature so that the space ship doesn't need complicated turbo pumps or plumbing to move the oxidizer into the combustion chamber.
How do you start it?
To start a hybrid motor first requires introducing a significant source of heat into the fuel and then introducing the oxidizer. A hybrid motor does not start by accident and thus it is a safe and simple alternative to its liquid and solid cousins.
Does it pollute the atmosphere?
The products of combustion are mostly benign (water vapor, carbon dioxide, hydrogen and nitrogen and some carbon monoxide) and certainly much more friendly than any other class of rocket propulsion.
Is the rocket re-useable?
Partly. The oxidizer tank is reusable and the same fuel casing can support several short firings or one long one. The intent is to replace the fuel casing and nozzle between high altitude flights.
What is the rocket's thrust and Isp?
As of April 2003 we are still competing two different rocket designs and we will not advertise any rocket performance data until after down-select and space flights have commenced.
Who developed the controls and displays?
All of the controls and displays were developed in-house and reflect many iterations and fit-ups in the simulator as well as in-flight assessments during White Knight flights.
How do you simulate rocket accelerations and weightlessness?
We don't attempt to do this in the ground-based simulator, but we are able to expose the pilots to most of the expected flight envelope while they fly the White Knight and the acrobatic Extra 300.
What does Burt Rutan think of the other X-Prize designs?
Burt prefers to discuss this only after the X-Prize is won.
How long has Burt been working on all this?
The concept dates back to April 1996. Design work and some
limited testing was started 3.5 years ago. The full development program began in May 2001.
Is Burt Rutan going to ride in the vehicle?
Yes, as soon as the opportunity presents itself.
WHITE KNIGHT
How can you see where you're going?
The visibility is actually much better than you might imagine. By moving your head slightly you can piece together an acceptable picture of the outside world and maintain adequate "situational awareness". What is more difficult is spotting other airborne traffic. However, between radar advisories from ground controllers and an onboard traffic alert system called "Skywatch," this limitation is minimized.
Have there been any surprises during flight test?
Right from the start the White Knight has been one of Scaled's best handling aircraft. It has good control harmony and is surprisingly responsive for a large airplane. Despite its high wing, the airplane's dihedral effect (being able to pick up a wing with rudder only control) was too low. Therefore, winglets have been added.
SPACESHIPONE
What's with all those funny windows?
The windows need to be small to keep the weight of the vehicle down and they need to be round to minimize the structural loads. This configuration is also the least expensive to manufacture. Each portal consists of two windows to provide redundancy for the integrity of the pressure vessel should one window crack or fail. The number and location of the windows were selected to provide the pilot a view of the horizon throughout SpaceShipOne's mission profile.
How high do you go?
The goal is to get to 100 kilometers or about 62 miles up. This altitude was established by the X-Prize foundation as a target to stimulate commercial interest in the technology to achieve it. $10M will be awarded to the first team to make it before the end of 2004.
Why do you "fold" the wings to come back down?
The wings are folded up to provide a shuttle-cock or "feather" effect to help stabilize the vehicle for reentry. This configuration orients the vehicle to a belly first attitude that increases its drag and reduces its speed while coming back into the atmosphere thus helping to lessen the aerodynamic heating and reduce G-buildup.
Why isn't the pilot in a space suit?
You can think of the design of the cockpit with its dual seals and window panes as essentially a space worthy cockpit surrounded by a second outer space worthy shell. This redundancy eliminates the need for a space suit and allows the crew to operate and test the vehicle in comfort. Scaled's Proteus vehicle has a similar cockpit design and has over 1,000 flight hours in a "shirt sleeve" environment.
How does the pilot control the rocket?
Rocket controls are very simple. Two switches, one to Arm it and a second to Fire it. The avionics suite has a dedicated propulsion display that shows various critical motor parameters that can be monitored both by the pilot before launch and by a ground station during flight.
Can the pilot throttle the rocket?
No. There is no provision for the pilot to modulate the rocket thrust.
Has any other vehicle gone supersonic with manual flight controls?
Yes. Chuck Yeager's "Glamorous Glennis" or the Bell X-1 had manual flight controls. Like SpaceShip One it also had electric trim for supersonic flight.
Did you do wind tunnel testing?
No. All design refinements and performance predictions have been derived from Computational Fluid Dynamic tools.
PROPULSION
Why is it called a hybrid motor?
It is called a "hybrid" because it is has characteristics that utilize features from both solid and liquid rocket motors.
Who designed the rocket motor?
While hybrid motors are not new, the configuration utilized by SpaceShipOne is unique with its fuel case and nozzle cantilevered off the main oxidizer tank, which in turn, forms part of the vehicle's aft fuselage. Its largest components, the oxidizer tank and fuel casing, are Scaled-designed composite structure. The rocket hardware - fuel injectors, valves, controls, ignition systems and fuel characteristics - is being competed between two independent rocket companies.
What is the rocket's thrust and Isp?
As of April 2003 we are still competing two different rocket designs and we will not advertise any rocket performance data until after down-select and space flights have commenced.
What's the deal with laughing gas and rubber?
All rocket motors have some form of "fuel" and an "oxidizer". In solid rocket motors the oxidizer is embedded into the fuel (like an Estes rocket motor) and when lighted will burn until depleted. In liquid rockets the oxidizer is usually liquid oxygen and the fuel another liquid like hydrogen or kerosene. In our hybrid motor we use Nitrous Oxide (NO2 or laughing gas) as an oxidizer and hydroxy-terminated polybutadiene (HTPB or rubber) as the fuel. Both of these can be safely stored without special precautions and will not react when put together. Finally NO2 has the nice quality of self-pressurizing when at room temperature so that the space ship doesn't need complicated turbo pumps or plumbing to move the oxidizer into the combustion chamber.
How do you start it?
To start a hybrid motor first requires introducing a significant source of heat into the fuel and then introducing the oxidizer. A hybrid motor does not start by accident and thus it is a safe and simple alternative to its liquid and solid cousins.
Does it pollute the atmosphere?
The products of combustion are mostly benign (water vapor, carbon dioxide, hydrogen and nitrogen and some carbon monoxide) and certainly much more friendly than any other class of rocket propulsion.
Is the rocket re-useable?
Partly. The oxidizer tank is reusable and the same fuel casing can support several short firings or one long one. The intent is to replace the fuel casing and nozzle between high altitude flights.
What is the rocket's thrust and Isp?
As of April 2003 we are still competing two different rocket designs and we will not advertise any rocket performance data until after down-select and space flights have commenced.
Who developed the controls and displays?
All of the controls and displays were developed in-house and reflect many iterations and fit-ups in the simulator as well as in-flight assessments during White Knight flights.
How do you simulate rocket accelerations and weightlessness?
We don't attempt to do this in the ground-based simulator, but we are able to expose the pilots to most of the expected flight envelope while they fly the White Knight and the acrobatic Extra 300.
Dr. Mordrid
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