Friday
Yesterday was a terrible day in the Mojave Desert, as many of you may have seen on the news by now there has been an explosion at space technology company Scaled Composites during testing of a propellant system. Three are dead and three more are in the hospital with injuries of varying severity.
This is a dangerous business we are in and we all know it. I feel somewhat relieved that none of them were people whom I knew well, but at the same time share some of the sense of loss which must be nearly overpowering to their co-workers.
If any of you at Scaled drop by here during this time of sadness, know that you are part of something greater. Your friends will be remembered.
As to the facts of the accident, I have little to add beyond what my coworker Rand Simberg has said.
Dale, I just saw the news and went here immediately.
My deepest sympathies.
Posted by Tatyana at July 27, 2007 03:34 PM
I'm a huge Burt Rutan fan and have been since the prototype Quickie first caught my imagination.
A leader's feeling of ultimate responsibility, that one might have had the power to prevent an accident, can be the worst hurt of all. I hope he is okay, hangs in there and keeps pushing at the leading edge of technology. I would work for him in a heartbeat and am thankful for all of those that do. I extend my sympathies to the injured, and condolences to the friends and families of the three who died.
Posted by Midwesterner at July 27, 2007 05:53 PM
A sad day indeed. My condolences to the friends and family of the people who died, and I hope that the injured people make speedy recoveries..
Posted by Michael Jennings at July 27, 2007 06:27 PM
Sad to hear it.
Burt Rutan?
I harboured ambitions to be like him at one stage, but I couldn't stay happy with aerospace problems.
Posted by pietr at July 28, 2007 01:38 PM
What really shocked me was that this was not at all reported by the BBC. They chose to run with NASA sending people who were a bit tipsy into space instead.
Ask yourself two questions. Do you want to go into space? Second: Do you think that's going to be a national space agency or private enterprise that gets you there?
100,000 dollars a flight is a big chunk but it's within touching range for pretty much everyone (imagine if economies of scale reduced it to 10,000) and this is not beyond possibility. I can afford to cross the Atlantic at will pretty much. That's a new thing. My grandparents couldn't do it so why not space?
I'll buy you a drink (even one with an umbrella) at the L-5 resort Dale. And we'll toast the memory of these engineers because it is people like that them which will make this possible.
I'll say no more about this. It is the greatest adventure of our species and nothing comes close to it. Not anything.
The Earth is the cradle of mankind but one can't stay in the cradle forever.
- Konstantin Tsiolokovsky
Posted by Nick M at July 29, 2007 02:00 PM
Spot on again Nick.
Dale my deepest condolences for your colleagues.
You and yours are the only hope for Mankind.
I only hope and pray that the "risk adverse"
do not shut you down.
Posted by RAB at July 29, 2007 04:16 PM
My sympathy to the family and friends of the dead, and my hopes for the swift and full recovery of the injured.
As RAB points the efforts of such people (in space research and other fields) are the hope of humanity.
Posted by Paul Marks at July 31, 2007 12:47 PM
