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Rollout of Contender for First Civilian Spaceship
The Rotary Rocket Company on March 1, 1999, rolled out the first flying prototype of their Rotary Rocket, a contender to become the first civilian spacecraft to launch tourists into space.
By GSReport
Start Date: 3/1/99
In a press release dated February 26, 1999, the Space Frontier Foundation (SFF) announced the impending rollout of the prototype of America's first privately financed spaceship, dubbed the Roton, built by the Rotary Rocket Company of Redwood Shores, California. The historic event was carried live on the web on March 1 as it happened at Mojave Spaceport, north of Lancaster, California, near Edwards Air Force base, SFF said.
The Space Frontier Foundation is a national space policy organization dedicated to opening space to human settlement as soon as possible. The Foundation, which coined the term "Cheap Access to Space," has led a campaign to bring the cost of space transportation down for almost a decade.
According to SFF President Rick N. Tumlinson, "The rollout of the Roton represents the beginning of a new era in space, and if it is successful will lead to access to space not just for astronauts, but for ticket purchasing passengers -- and within a couple of years, not decades."
The rollout event was posted at http://ROLLOUT.ORG and featured noted author Tom Clancy, SFF President Rick Tumlinson, Rotary Rocket Company President Gary C. Hudson, and NASA and FAA officials.
The Rotary Rocket Company plans for its pilots to fly the initial prototype spaceship within the atmosphere as a first step toward a later vehicle intended to reach orbit. Possible cargo for this orbital vehicle will range from telecommunications satellites to passengers, SFF said.
The Space Frontier Foundation's mission statement says that "Our goals include protecting the Earth's fragile biosphere and creating a freer and more prosperous life for each generation by using the unlimited energy and material resources of space. Our purpose is to unleash the power of free enterprise and lead a united humanity permanently into the Solar System."
[For information on the SFF, call 1-800-78-SPACE or visit http://www.space-frontier.org. GSReport thanks Larry Lowe for bringing this story to our attention.]
 Excelsior, Michael Lindemann's new novel (written under the pen name Michael Paul), depicts a wholly plausible near future in which human cloning is both widespread and widely abused; terrorists have access to target-specific biological weapons; recreational space travel is commonplace; and mounting pressures of global climate change, environmental decline, population growth and civil unrest inspire radical new approaches to urban security.
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