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This has already been mentioned on this list, but I thought it might have
something worth reading.<br>
This press release from John Spencer (on ExI's advisory team). John
is a space architect and long-time space enthusiast. His
organization is Space Tourism, Inc. You can read more about John
here:
<a href="http://www.theargonauts.com/columns/brookmantia/070100_spencer.shtml" eudora="autourl">http://www.theargonauts.com/columns/brookmantia/070100_spencer.shtml<br><br>
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</a><div align="center"><font size=5><b>On June 21st SpaceDev's Hybrid
Rocket Motor Technology Will Help Create the World's First Private Sector
Astronaut!<br><br>
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<font face="Times New Roman, Times">On June 21<sup>st</sup>
SpaceShipOne’s fourth powered flight is scheduled to write a new page in the history books. Years of planning, hard work and hope will be riding with the Scaled Composite test pilot as he attempts to fly higher and faster than any privately funded aviation program has ever flown.<br>
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</font><font face="Times New Roman, Times"> NASA, the Air Force and other organizations recognize that space begins at 50 miles, and award astronaut status to those achieving the 50 mile altitude. If the June 21st flight meets the expected altitude of 100km (62.5 miles), the flight will create the world’s first private sector astronaut.<br>
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</font><font face="Times New Roman, Times">In 1999 Jim Benson and the SpaceDev propulsion team began working with Burt Rutan and his team of engineers at Scaled Composites to create safe, inexpensive, private sector human space flight. Only a year after contracting with Scaled, SpaceDev successfully tested the world’s largest nitrous oxide-based hybrid rocket motor. The motor burns rubber (HTPB) and laughing gas (N<sub>2</sub>O).<br>
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</font><font face="Verdana"> </font><font face="Times New Roman, Times">The SpaceShipOne rocket motor is a cooperative design executed by the highly skilled engineers at SpaceDev and Scaled Composites. SpaceDev supplied the rocket science and most key components. Scaled Composites designed the main concept, two large composite structures: the oxidizer tank and composite Case-Throat-Nozzle (CTN). This close team effort since 1999 has been a key to the successful development of the unique, record-setting hybrid motor for the historic, manned SpaceShipOne.<br>
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</font><font face="Times New Roman, Times"><b>As they have on all previous powered flights, the SpaceDev propulsion team will be on-site on June 21<sup>st</sup> at the Mojave, CA airport with the Scaled team to provide critical ground, flight, and post-flight support services. Jim Benson, SpaceDev founding chairman and chief executive officer who will attend the historic flight commented “This is a tremendously exciting time for everyone who has dreamed and worked to bring low-cost human space flight closer to reality. We are honored to be part of the team that will achieve this goal.”<br>
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</font><b>NASA Centennial Challenges</b> <br><br>
<font face="Times New Roman, Times"><b>Jim Benson has been invited to make a presentation about the SpaceDev Streaker</b></font><font face="Verdana">Ô</font><font face="Times New Roman, Times">,<b> a hybrid-based small launch vehicle,</b> at the June 15 – 16 NASA Centennial Challenges Workshop in Washington, DC. The panel is titled <b>“Launch Vehicles for Spacecraft Prize Competitions.”</b> The SpaceDev Streaker</font><font face="Verdana">Ô</font><font face="Times New Roman, Times"> is being developed under contract with the Air Force Research Laboratory. The SpaceDev Streaker</font><font face="Verdana">Ô</font><font face="Times New Roman, Times"> is designed to put up to 1,000 pounds into low earth orbit, at an estimated price of $5 million. The SpaceDev Streaker</font><font face="Verdana">Ô</font><font face="Times New Roman, Times"> will use a variation of the SpaceShipOne motor as the upper stage, and for the orbit insertion stage, SpaceDev will use a variation of the “space tug” motor SpaceDev is developing for the Air Force Research Laboratory under a different contract. <br>
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<b>About SpaceDev</b></font> <br>
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<font face="Verdana" size=2>SpaceDev (OTCBB: SPDV) creates and sells affordable and innovative space products and solutions to government and commercial enterprises. Upon founding SpaceDev in 1996, Jim Benson started the trend of successful computer entrepreneurs moving into the space development arena. For more information, visit <a href="http://echo.bluehornet.com/ct/ct.php?t=591020&c=329360500&m=m&type=1">www.spacedev.com</a>.<br>
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