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General Discussion => General Discussion => Topic started by: Bubbinski on 08/05/2012 10:27 pm

Title: What will be the next piloted US spacecraft to make it past the Karman line?
Post by: Bubbinski on 08/05/2012 10:27 pm

A creative way of asking the question.  This picture shows all the US built and flown crewed craft that have made it past the Karman line (62 miles).  Over the past months I've built all these 1/72nd scale models and I wake up to seeing them every morning.  The Mercury is atop the Redstone and all the others are on stands or on their landing gear, and all of them are available model kits (not prebuilt) from Dragon, Revell, Amodel, Trumpeter, and MPM. 

I will build a kit of the next US built craft that successfully flies people past the Karman line and display it proudly alongside these history making craft.  Which craft do you think will that be?

Title: Re: What will be the next piloted US spacecraft to make it past the Karman line?
Post by: Prober on 08/05/2012 11:41 pm

awwww you for :o got other in your poll

Title: Re: What will be the next piloted US spacecraft to make it past the Karman line?
Post by: tigerade on 08/06/2012 12:30 am

Virgin Galactic most likely.  If we change the subject to next orbital flight on a US spacecraft, I'd say dragon.

Title: Re: What will be the next piloted US spacecraft to make it past the Karman line?
Post by: QuantumG on 08/06/2012 12:33 am

If you were to ask which piloted US vehicle will next fly under rocket power, that might be a race between SS2 and Lynx.

Title: Re: What will be the next piloted US spacecraft to make it past the Karman line?
Post by: Bubbinski on 08/06/2012 12:36 am

Quote from: Prober on 08/05/2012 11:41 pm

awwww you for :o got other in your poll

Fixed. :)

After I made this poll I thought about it and I may edit some more for an orbital option.  Actually I'll go ahead and make another poll for orbital only.

By the way I suspect that SpaceShipTwo might be the first craft to make it to my display.

Title: Re: What will be the next piloted US spacecraft to make it past the Karman line?
Post by: spectre9 on 08/06/2012 03:08 am

If SS2 hasn't hit the Karman line before around 2016/17 I'd be very disappointed.

SS1 had a massive head start, the point of waiting around 20 years for SS2 is?  ::)

Title: Re: What will be the next piloted US spacecraft to make it past the Karman line?
Post by: QuantumG on 08/06/2012 04:02 am

Quote from: spectre9 on 08/06/2012 03:08 am

If SS2 hasn't hit the Karman line before around 2016/17 I'd be very disappointed.

SS1 had a massive head start, the point of waiting around 20 years for SS2 is?  ::)

If that were to happen, I think the lesson would be clear: we still haven't learnt the value of small close-nit teams.

Title: Re: What will be the next piloted US spacecraft to make it past the Karman line?
Post by: Zed_Noir on 08/06/2012 04:43 am

Quote from: spectre9 on 08/06/2012 03:08 am

If SS2 hasn't hit the Karman line before around 2016/17 I'd be very disappointed.

SS1 had a massive head start, the point of waiting around 20 years for SS2 is?  ::)

I have my doubts with the hybrid engines on SS2. So pick the Dragon.

Title: Re: What will be the next piloted US spacecraft to make it past the Karman line?
Post by: savuporo on 08/06/2012 04:56 am

Lynx, based on talk/metal ratio.

Title: Re: What will be the next piloted US spacecraft to make it past the Karman line?
Post by: kkattula on 08/06/2012 10:55 am

Quote from: savuporo on 08/06/2012 04:56 am

Lynx, based on talk/metal ratio.

Lynx might well fly above 60km before SS2, but Mk I can't make it to 100km (62 miles). Mk II probably won't fly before SS2's first space flight.

Title: Re: What will be the next piloted US spacecraft to make it past the Karman line?
Post by: nacnud on 08/06/2012 11:25 am

Quote from: Zed_Noir on 08/06/2012 04:43 am

Quote from: spectre9 on 08/06/2012 03:08 am

If SS2 hasn't hit the Karman line before around 2016/17 I'd be very disappointed.

SS1 had a massive head start, the point of waiting around 20 years for SS2 is?  ::)

I have my doubts with the hybrid engines on SS2. So pick the Dragon.

I have heard that there is a liquid fuled replacment engine planned as a future upgrade.

SS2 for me too.