Citation
(2008), "SpaceShipOne: An Illustrated History", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 80 No. 5. https://doi.org/10.1108/aeat.2008.12780eae.001
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2008, Emerald Group Publishing Limited
SpaceShipOne: An Illustrated History
Article Type: Book review From: Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology: An International Journal, Volume 80, Issue 5
Dan Linehan,Foreword by: Sir Arthur C. Clarke,
In April of 2003, a company called scaled composites lifted the veil of secrecy from a longtime research programme and Introduced SpaceShipOne to the world, igniting the launch of space travel.
“While 500 people have been to space, only three have actually flown themselves there”, says Brian Binnie, SpaceShipOne test pilot and astronaut. SpaceShipOne: An Illustrated History, provides a fascinating insight into the world of commercial space travel and the individuals who made air and space history.
The story of SpaceShipOne combines the adventurous spirit of Charles Lindbergh, the entrepreneurial drive of Howard Hughes, and the urgency of the space race at the height of the Cold War. Author Dan Linehan, who was there at the launch, lets readers in on the drama and details behind the making of spaceships that will take twenty-first century tourists to the final frontier.
The book chronicles the development of the world’s first commercial manned space programme - a programme that includes an airborne launcher (the White Knight), a space ship (SpaceShipOne), rocket propulsion, avionics, simulator, and full ground support. With ample illustrations, 230 photographs and behind-the-scenes information, SpaceShipOne provides the full picture of this classified project. From the conception and design, to the deals that brought together Scaled Composites’ Burt Rutan and Virgin Airlines’ Sir Richard Branson and the plans to build a fleet of commercial suborbital spaceships.
In 2004, Dan Linehan attended the launch of SpaceShipOne when it captured the X Prize. He has written numerous articles about aviation and space for periodicals like “Pacific flyer” and “In flight USA.” Linehan was the editor and and principle feature writer for the California International Airshows event programme in 2003-2005. He has a background in physics and engineering and lives in Monterey, California.
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