Briefs: Rocketplane in OK; Sheboygan update;

Rocketplane reports to OSIDA (Oklahoma Space Industry Development Authority), which runs the Oklahoma Spaceport: Redesign expected to take OKC rocket efforts in upward direction - The Journal Record - Nov.15.07.

The articles notes that:

Flights from the Burns Flat spaceport are approved for horizontal launches and landings only, and Khourie said there had not been any applications for vertical launches.

So far, though, only VTVL rocket operations, albeit at very low altitudes, have take place at the site: Space Flight Activities - OSIDA.
===
To initiate the Sheboygan Spaceport facility, I suggest they pay Armadillo (and any other team with an operational vehicle) to come and do a demo Lunar Lander Challenge pair of flights: Spaceport plans rocketing ahead: Fall of 2008 targeted as start of conversion of city's Armory into aerospace center - The Sheboygan Press - Nov.16.07. (I don't know the layout there and maybe this is not feasible FAA permit-wise.)

Posted 11/16/07 | 09:42:58 by TopSpacer | Filed under: Spaceports

Comments

I hope RiPK (GF3) dose not turn Oklahoma City into another Kindersley, Saskatchewan (thanks to Not-So-Flyin-Brian), or Cape Breton Nova Scotia (thanks to Snake Oil Sheerin).

It would be nice to have the real deal.

Monorail! Monorail! Monorail! [big finish] Monorail! Homer: Mono... D'oh!

Posted by Ed at 11/16/07 10:53:36

I'm only a few hours from Sheboygan, I'd come out in a heartbeat if Armadillo was demonstrating there. I honestly dont think much more than educational sounding rockets will ever launch from here though given its proximity to urban areas.

Posted by Jim at 11/16/07 12:42:47

Sheboygan might be better of trying to attract an Altspace company to set up a training center or an R&D/manufacturing facility.

as for Ed's comment about the "Real Deal" I have a cousin out in Nova Scotia
She told me that she is really disappointed about not seeing anything happening out there. I guess that there are a lot of
skeptics that are becoming very wary of people the appear to roll in to town with the latest pitch to the east coast of Canada and then show nothing to back up the sales pitch.

Posted by Mel at 11/16/07 13:01:24

From The Journal Record...
“In our opinion, it’s the best-looking vehicle out there,” Faulkner said.

Compared to what?? SS2? there is not exactly a lot of competition.

most of these space ports seem to be a bit of the 'cart before the horse' scenario.

Posted by Ron Woolfrey at 11/16/07 13:23:10

there is more spaceplane compition than just SS2.
the DreamSpace/Da Vinci Project - XF1
PlanetSpace - Silver Dart
EADS' new space plane.

Posted by mufftie at 11/16/07 13:36:39

This press release is exactly the same
Press Release RpK gave in 2003.

"We ahve the best looking vehicle, we
have significant advantages over everyone,
We just need to spread the word on Burns Flats,
and "We are just 2 years away from Flight""

Posted by anonymous at 11/16/07 14:29:06

I don't think Oklahoma will fall for George French Fried - III's latest (last?) attempt at a monorail, err . . . sub-orbital vehicle.

"Best looking vehicle..." Yeah cause it will fly way better. I think that's the rationalle Not-So-Flyin Brian uses to design his vehicles. "Which shape looks most like a giant Phalyc symbol? I think I'll call it something manly like WildFire."

Seriously, I can't think of anyone that would invest in these companies.

Mel,

What's the Buzz about PlanetSpace's representative, Fred Doucet, who's been all over the news about this huge scandal in Canada?

My $ 0.02 worth.

Posted by Buck.Bundy at 11/16/07 16:22:15

One big advantage of Sheboygan over WSMR will be no gypsum dust to clog rocket engines. That is nasty stuff and one of the reasons NASA avoids landing the Shuttle at the Northup Strip unless there are NO other options.

Posted by WiseSpacer at 11/16/07 16:58:55

Yes, the NewSpace snake oil salesmen also did a good job of poisoning the communities in east Texas. Mention operating RLVs there and the locals start looking for rope to string you up. Not surprising as they wasted a couple of million on feasibility and EIS studies.

I hope RpK won�t poison Oklahoma the same way for the next generation of space firms as Burns Flat is a nice site for testing.

Posted by WiseSpacer at 11/16/07 17:00:54

"Are you kidding? They used to call me Grifty McGrift. I wrote the
book on flimflamming."
Buck, Mel, I think Snake Oil Sheerin and crew are laying low because of the connection with Fred Doucet and the current scandal in Canada? You probably wont here anymore press releases from Planetspace for a long time.
A Canadian national news paper ran stories about Fred and Planetspace within days of the Schreiber scandal.
Mel you may want to ask your canadian cousin to look into this more.

Posted by Ed at 11/16/07 20:11:04

WiseSpacer, that is a good observation. I can only imagine how tuff it will be for any future Newspace companies that want to set up shop in Canada eh!
with industry characters like Not-So-Flyin Brian, and Snake Oil Sheerin.
How many times can you make major announcements and proclamations of immanent flight schedules...and yet never show anything other than vapor ware. So what dose RiPK pitch to Okalahoma City...another computer graphic of a never built space plane.
Oh and of course it will be the best in its class.
Step right up...Step right up! Folks get your magnificent, miracle, all in one tonic.
monorail...monorail..monorial!

Posted by Ed at 11/16/07 20:24:00

well fortunately Blue Origins is doing the right thing.

All they are doing, is, steady, incremental flight test.

but the industry is littered with snake oil and
kool-aiders

Posted by anonymous at 11/18/07 10:15:03

Just a note about "not-flyin' Brian:" Apparently he's put together a funded RRL team (per the RRL team site). I'm not sure HOW funded...but he's not all vaporware.

Posted by tom at 11/19/07 09:26:12

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