SpaceShipOne did it! X Prize has been won.

[Deep Sixx]

SpaceShipOne hit 368,000 feet this morning. Private spaceflight has been realized in our lifetime... amazing.

http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/xprize2_success_041004.html

sixx

[Will Wood]

New goal in life: (actually always was.. but now its semi pratical!)
Experience zero g.

[PyRo]

You don't have to go into space to get zero g, NASA has planes (KC-135's) that with a series of manovers simulate a weightless enviroment for short periods of time. You have probably heard of it refered to as the vomit comet. Their is now a private company modifying I believe a 737 to do the same kind of flying with private passangers. Tickets would probably be a little cheaper than space ship one, which I think is taking down payments of $1,000 for future rides, which makes me think its going to be upwards of $10k for a ride.

[HoppysMag]

dude, zero G is easy,you can get it on some roller coasters. zero g for a sustained period of time is the tough part

[JimmyBeam]

discovery channel had a documentary on about them last night. all i can say is.......NASA who??

[magman007]

zero g can be accomplished in any number of aircraft. Hell, i can do it in the 172 that i train in here at KSU. it really isnt hard, pitch down, get air speed, pull back, and pitch down again, voilla, thats about 3 seconds of weoghtlessness :)

[Fred]

now that this gap has been spanned...

how long till the average joe (millionaire) can have one in a hanger in his backyard?

I want my own spaceship...

---Fred

[Glickman]

i believe its only a big one plus change, you can ride a 737 with padded floors and walls. its basically a 30 second free fall

[cphilip]

While Zero G can be achieved I don't agree thats the same as weightlessness or lack of gravity. A short period of simulated is what you realy get there. Parabolic dives produce a short period of it... but actually having low to no gravitational pull for prolonged periods is not going to happen in those. .

[Target Practice]

Burt Rutan...humh. Name sounds familiar. Oh, yeah. Good family friend.

Anyhoo, I didn't have any doubts that he was going to succeed. He is, by far, the most intelligen person I have ever met, bar none.

Well, congrats Burt!

[Eagle]

Already in the works. Right after the first flight a week ago, Rutan and Richard Branson, the British Billionare on Virgin Industries, including Virgin Atlantic Airlines anounsed a new venture: Virgin Galactic (no joke) They hope to have it up and running, er flying actually, within 3 years.

[PyRo]

I was a little off in my price estimate, it's upwards of $200,000. Somehow I doubt there is much room to float around and have fun in Space Ship One, and their could still be some gravity (remember it doesn't get into orbit, the engine dies you fall to earth, not float off into space).

[xmetal2001]

While Zero G can be achieved I don't agree thats the same as weightlessness or lack of gravity. A short period of simulated is what you realy get there. Parabolic dives produce a short period of it... but actually having low to no gravitational pull for prolonged periods is not going to happen in those. .

Even in orbit you are not in a situation with a lack of gravity, it is still quite strong...If i am not mistaken you feel weightless for the same reason you do in the planes, because you are falling.

[PyRo]

The further from earth you get the less gravity there is. You actually weight slightly less ontop of a high mountain then you do at sea level. So while there is gravity in orbit their isn't much, how do you think satalites work? They arn't burning an engine to keep them from falling.

What goes up don't always come back down.

[xmetal2001]

Sure, but there is still a very significant amount of gravity affecting things in orbit...that is why they stay in orbit.