The Gun Counter

What are Paul Allen and Burt Rutan working on? Why, this:

This Insane Giant Mothership Will Launch Rockets Into Orbit


This is not a fantasy project. This is going to be real: a gigantic 385-foot wing span, 544-tonne plane powered by six 747 engines that will serve as a flying launch platform for 490,000 pound orbital rockets.

It's the new project of Paul Allen and Burt Rutan. And it looks insanely amazing.

You can read the rest here:

http://gizmodo.com/5867710/this-crazy-3 ... into-orbit

Pic and video at the link. Dang. Found via Insty.

It's all about a program for getting out of the gravity well at minimal cost, by using a truly reusable first stage.

Strap-on reusable rockets probably aren't lasting as long as the engineers hoped.

I like the way Rutan is working up his launch system. I just hope he lives long enough to see it become viable. Branson and Allen do seem to be the kind of patrons that are around for the long haul.

CByrneIV wrote:And Rutan now lives just down the street from me (literally).

You should drop by with a resume'.

Steamforger wrote:

CByrneIV wrote:And Rutan now lives just down the street from me (literally).

You should drop by with a resume'.

Or a charter to enroll the TGC into service for firing rockets!

mekender wrote:Or a charter to enroll the TGC into service for firing rockets!

The Gun Counter: We Launch Stuff Into Space to Feed Our Pirate-Killing Hobby

SoupOrMan wrote:

mekender wrote:Or a charter to enroll the TGC into service for firing rockets!

The Gun Counter: We Launch Stuff Into Space to Feed Our Pirate-Killing Hobby

That Sir wins the internets or the month of December.

So, what we've got here, is a private individual with the ability to drop "presents" on Tehran, or anywhere else for that matter, from the Mojave desert.

Netpackrat wrote:So, what we've got here, is a private individual with the ability to drop "presents" on Tehran, or anywhere else for that matter, from the Mojave desert.

Makes you giggle a bit, doesn't it?

Netpackrat wrote:So, what we've got here, is a private individual with the ability to drop "presents" on Tehran, or anywhere else for that matter, from the Mojave desert.

That ain't that impressive. You give me a few glasses of whiskey, to steady my aim, and point me in the general direction of Iran. I few clips from my M1 and they won't be I-ranians. They will be I-runians.

esa5444 wrote:

Netpackrat wrote:So, what we've got here, is a private individual with the ability to drop "presents" on Tehran, or anywhere else for that matter, from the Mojave desert.

That ain't that impressive. You give me a few glasses of whiskey, to steady my aim, and point me in the general direction of Iran. I few clips from my M1 and they won't be I-ranians. They will be I-runians.

Let me know when you're ready to go and when to meet you and we have implicit Israeli backing ('cause we KNOW the spineless USA won't do anything as long as Dumbo is in charge of the military - after all, he was bending over and spreading his cheeks when he asked for our drone back - "do I haveta' say pretty please with a cherry on top????"), just so I can help them understand the words, "NEVER AGAIN!"