See a Sneak Preview of SpaceShipThree

Slashdot is carrying an article on Burt Rutan's SpaceShipThree, which would be an orbital alt.space vehicle. Rutan has been very mum on exactly how he would create an orbital craft, leaving some to wonder if it is possible to affordably achieve orbit rather than simply reaching the edge of space and comming back, as he did in his X Prize winning craft SpaceShipOne.

In the last year a company/design group named t/space has emerged, which NASA is partially funding to study cheaper and easier ways to reach orbit and service the International Space Station.

Most people don't realize that t/space and Burt Rutan are one and the same. t/space has prototyped and is creating an alt.space orbital craft, and has Rutan's design style and fingerprints all over it. I'll bet strong money that the design mapped out by t/space will be what SpaceShipThree basicly is. I've blogged more about this in the past at:

"Alternatives to NASA: Transformational Space"

That blog post points to videos, design documents, and opinions on what might be a preview of a SpaceShipThree-style craft, mapped out by t/space today.

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