[Coco] [Color Computer] Burt Rutan

[KnudsenMJ at aol.com]

In a message dated 6/23/04 12:45:41 PM Eastern Daylight Time, 
jadonaldson at charter.net writes:

> Being a Private pilot and ex NASA, I would like to express my view that 
>  Burt Rutan and company did something that no other country even the USA 
>  could do.  Monday morning at 11:52 AM EST, SpaceShip One went 
>  sub-orbital and the FIRST PRIVATE PILOT to earn his Astro wings. He did 
>  it from conception to flight in lest than 10 years and for only $20M.

I heartily agree!  Let private industry do the shuttle trucking while NASA 
aims for the stars (OK, Mars will do for now :-)

What happened 101 years ago?  There were at least three groups trying to 
build an airplane:
(1) A large group of scientists, engineers, and a jockey pilot, bankrolled by 
The Smithsonian Institute, headed by Langley;
(2) Another group of Canadian inventors, headed by Alexander Graham Bell;
(3) Two preacher's-kid bicycle mechanics from Ohio (I forget whether they 
finished high school).

Guess who won?  Sometimes smaller really is better!  --Mike K.