atoms into suns

Tomorrow morning, at about 7am MDT, SpaceShipOne will be launched from the Mojave Spaceport in Mojave, CA. This is the first launch toward winning the Ansari X-Prize.

Burt Rutan is a bit of a hero of mine. The first I heard of him was when the Voyager, a plane he designed, flew nonstop around the world without refueling. That was in 1986; I was 12 years old. I learned more about his designs and was captivated. They looked nothing like planes were supposed to. They had weird things like canards and stubby wings with vertical tips and propellers on the tail. And, of course, they were made of polymer composites. Supposedly they were stronger than steel, but at that time I couldn't figure out how plastic could be stronger than metal.

Burt Rutan's aircraft designs are what got me interested in aviation as well as materials. I went to college intending to be an aerospace engineer. After I decided I didn't like physics, I ended up going into materials science and engineering instead. That wasn't out of blind idolization; it was because my interest in those areas had been brought to life, largely by this one man's designs.

Of course, there are many other teams vying for the X-Prize, but it doesn't really surprise me that Rutan and company are the most likely to win it. He's been an aerospace pioneer for decades now.

I'm also quite excited about this new era in aerospace. Already Richard Branson and Scaled Composites / Mojave Aerospace Ventures have announced a deal for five spacecraft. Flights available to the public are projected to start in 2007 (for those who can afford the $170k+).

(More info available on Slashdot and at boingboing.)

Of course, Scaled Composites / Mojave Aerospace Ventures aren't the only team in this game. With a number of companies already working on suborbital spacecraft and more, I think we're on the cusp of the barnstorming era of space travel.

I can't wait.

Congratulations and thank you to Burt Rutan, Mike Melvill, and the rest of the crew of Scaled Composites. You've brought the dream alive again.