Cloning SpaceShipOne

Richard P., Los Angeles, CA — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 17:23:20 GMT

Rutan was quoted in the article as saying that the NASM in D.C. "placed (SpaceShipOne) so the tails would hit the Spirit of St. Louis." Don't you mean "wouldn't" hit the Spirit of St. Louis? Thanks

Cloning SpaceShipOne

Chris Eldridge, Harrisburg PA — Wed, 26 Jul 2006 04:06:14 GMT

Love SpaceShipOne! The Smithsonian certainly needs more civil aviation displays in contrast to all those that glorify warfare. For all we know, the next 21st-century Enola Gay may be patiently awaiting its own path to destiny as we speak. In the 60s, Boeing execs hoped that their 747 might allow people to travel worldwide more easily and therefore learn about the rich culture and similarities we share as humans. After over a billion passengers, however, I'm really not sure we have.

Cloning SpaceShipOne

Alan Boyle — Wed, 26 Jul 2006 13:42:37 GMT

On that "hit the tails" thing ... Rutan was saying that SpaceShipOne was positioned in the museum so that the tails would have hit Charles Lindbergh's historic plane if they were "feathered" the way Rutan hoped could be done. I had to laugh at that observation.

Cloning SpaceShipOne

Frank Glover, Rochester, NY — Thu, 27 Jul 2006 02:33:50 GMT

Boeing (and all the others) build commercial aircraft to make money. So do those who operate telephone systems, support the operation of the Internet, and so on. Had I heard them, I would have been just as skeptical of those comments of Boeing executives, as I am of those who suggest that 'international' space programs will somehow bring 'humanity' (or at least the participating countries) together.

Nevertheless, I'm also convinced that we are socially much better off *with* affordable worldwide air travel, commnnications, etc. then we would have been without them...

In time, I believe the same will be said about human access to space.

Cloning SpaceShipOne

Chris Eldridge, Harrisburg PA — Thu, 27 Jul 2006 08:50:21 GMT

I know its idealistic but as a member of the Jimmy Carter Center, I really do feel that world peace is entirely possible. Isn’t that what we are all living for? Sure, a *small* international space project and air travel (which is still very expensive) won’t bring the world together by themselves, but they are emblematic of a gradually changing world. It’s obvious that so much more is possible through cooperation, why not give it a try?

Part of what is holding us back is the fear that we are not secure and it is this same fear that is used to keep the masses subjugated and mistrustful of one another. So what could change this? For starters, look how things like an international missile defense shield, WMD monitoring satalite system, and a terror-proof transit system (that uses incredibly sensitive sniffing systems and face recognition software able to see through disguises etc.) would allow us to be a little more clear-headed about our current global situation. Look at how much a battlefield laser defense system would have allowed Israel to scoff at every rocket and mortar shell fired at them… Look at how little we’d all have to fight about if we were no longer dependent on oil (or any form of energy from more than 30 miles of where they live for that matter)! If our homes were more secure, we’d have little to fear from robbers, militia groups, and natural disasters alike. If we all lived sustainably and were more self-reliant, we’d have very little to fight about indeed. As it stands, we only think we are an advanced society, but we’ve really not solved very many global problems and are only creating that many more as we go.

Apart from feeling more secure, things like air travel, the internet, global communications, and
Massive engineering projects (that we could not otherwise achieve on our own) really do help to build a global consciousness with unstoppable resources and talent. Exploration and learning then become common goals of such a united society. Space tourism may itself help instill this unity because it is often said how “changed” astronauts feel after seeing how beautiful the world is as a whole – without borders!!

As Martin Luther King said, “We will either live together as brothers or perish together as fools!”