XPost: sci.space.shuttle, sci.space.history, rec.aviation.military   
   From: jeff.findley@ugs.nojunk.com   
      
   "Mike Swift"  wrote in message   
   news:tomswift-DE0C6B.21563804032006@news.corenews.com...   
   > In article ,   
   > David Given  wrote:   
   >   
   >> [...]   
   >> > SpaceShipOne only got 1/3rd the way there and that wasn't SSTO, it was   
   >> > two staged, carried on White Knight.   
   >>   
   >> No. No, it didn't. SS1 reached Mach 3. Orbit is about the equivalent of   
   >> Mach   
   >> 25. That's 1/8 of the way.   
   >   
   > Actually it much worse than 1/8 of the way.  In terms of energy that   
   > eight to one velocity increase takes 128 times more energy.  As you can   
   > see SpaceShipOne was far from getting to orbit.   
      
   The intention was never to get it into orbit.  The question to ask yourself,   
   is if NASA were given the task to create a reusable vehicle to carry three   
   people to 50 miles altitude and back, what would *that* have cost?  Ask the   
   same question only substitute any large aerospace contractor for NASA.   
      
   Jeff   
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