SpaceShipOne flight 16P
Flight 16P of SpaceShipOne is a spaceflight anticipated to take place on September 29 2004, which will be the first competitive flight in the Ansari X Prize competition to demonstrate a non-governmental reusable manned spacecraft. It is expected to be the fifth powered flight of the Tier One program and if successful will be the second privately-funded human spaceflight.As of July 2004, the pilot for the flight has not yet been publically announced. Scaled Composites has announced that the flight will carry ballast rather than passengers. The ballast must total 180 kg, to simulate two 90 kg passengers. Most of the ballast will be lead, but the X PRIZE Foundation has arranged for competitive flights to carry the Explorers Club flag, which will be credited as payload.
X Prize rules require that that date and place of competitive flights be notified to the X PRIZE Foundation at least 60 days before the flight. Due to problems encountered during flight 15P on June 21 2004, Scaled Composites did not immediately set a date for their competitive flights, suspecting that another test flight might be required. By July 7 2004 Burt Rutan reported that the faults had been resolved and the next flights would be competitive. On July 27 2004 the X PRIZE Foundation announced that Scaled Composites had given notice that they would make their first competitive flight on September 29 2004.
To win the X Prize, SpaceShipOne must make two competitive flights within 14 days. If the September 29 2004 flight is successful, a second flight would have to follow by October 13 2004.
Scaled Composites has scheduled the second competitive flight, flight 17P, for October 4 2004, the 47th anniversary of the launch of Sputnik 1. There is a possibility of a third competitive flight (18P) occurring by October 13 2004, if either of the first two is not successful.Scheduling
Later flights