The glorious nutters at Scaled Composites are heading into space, June 21st. I've written about the project before, mentioning my approval of things like this: if you were going into space, would you be happy traveling in a spaceship that had been tested by strapping bits of it to the front of a pick-up truck, then driving very fast?
Personally, I consider this terrific use of appropriate technology, but there you go. Do check out the other pictures - there are some amazing video stills from high altitude. Like, 150,000 feet high.
As is traditional for risky flight endeavors, I wish the crew good luck, and Godspeed.
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I have to say it brings tears to the eye to see the Blue Marble image from a non-state-sponsored vehicle… to see that independent people could actually build something which can do that…
It really gives me hope. For the future, and for the present.