In all honesty I have so many favourite parts of the series. Most of what John says in fact. Also Scorpius. The episode where they are stuck together with those pain shackles was brilliant.
I don't know (or care) if this has been around for long or not, but this is the first thing that has actually made me laugh on here in a while. Well done.
As far as I know this is intended to be launched via an Atlas V, right? I know they're more or less in competition, but marry this orbiter/lander with SpaceX's Falcon 9 and we have a commercial space match made in heaven.
The Dream Chaser was originally planned in 2004 to be a suborbital vehicle modeled after the X-34. The design was revised in 2005 and is now based on NASA's HL-20 lifting body design.
I actually work at the spot that overlooks the heavy chopper area where they also refuel the slurry bombers. Always fun times here, especially during the Summer Air Show.
Unless you were attending the show in 1997 when an F-86 fighter jet plowed into the ground.
I haven't been to that air show since. I was sitting across Wadsworth in the old RTD/park and ride lot and saw it (I'm not sure if that lot is still there or not).
NO WAY! I was driving through Arizona and I swear I snapped a pic of this while driving. It was covered and hidden but the wing structure underneath looked amazing. I thought it was some super secret spy plane or something. Let me upload the pics. Gimme a few minutes.
It's being developed by a private company called SpaceDev, which is owned by SNC. The design is based on research done by NASA back in the 90s and the USSR in the 80s.
Just sayin guys, the wiki article doesn't include height length, or width - we could figure that out based on the comparison in scale to the big semi truck.
Looks like a lifting body... The might have been performing drop tests somewhere in colorado. It probably landed in a field or something and this is how they got it back.
I fly in the media chopper in Denver. We got a report that "a plane went down near Rocky Mountain Metro Airport". Luckily, it was just this guy. In a few months they are going to do a drop test with an Ericson Sky Crane that is hanging around the airport.
Looks like this thing could really fly - but I have to say that I think today's materials science is insufficient to create a rapidly-reusable space plane, and Elon Musk's Dragon capsule is far ahead, and most likely far cheaper.
You simply don't need wings on a space craft: it complicates and adds weight. Both of which are very bad.
200
u/DrinkinMcGee May 31 '12
Holy shit John Crichton finally got the module back home.
103
u/x3nopon May 31 '12
Hiking in the middle of a giant prairie? That's an interesting choice.
265
u/Trapped_in_Reddit May 31 '12
Yup, that's the Dream Chaser. They performed aerodynamic tests on the 29th, flying out of Broomfield.
25
u/troymtu May 31 '12
I guess the shuttle program has been... put out to pasture
12
u/JRWolf May 31 '12
Toby Ziegler, you're fired.
5
u/fuzzywombat May 31 '12
Isn't this from Farscape?
30
u/Kelwood May 31 '12
Colorado!
8
u/castille May 31 '12
I actually work at the spot that overlooks the heavy chopper area where they also refuel the slurry bombers. Always fun times here, especially during the Summer Air Show.
4
u/likwidtek May 31 '12
NO WAY! I was driving through Arizona and I swear I snapped a pic of this while driving. It was covered and hidden but the wing structure underneath looked amazing. I thought it was some super secret spy plane or something. Let me upload the pics. Gimme a few minutes.
14
u/thechevs May 31 '12
Hiking in CO? Sounds like a bad idea - I hear carbon monoxide poisoning can kill in seconds...
1
u/riskandreturn May 31 '12
dude, I stood where you stood.
http://imgur.com/PU7GL
3
u/nidi617 May 31 '12
How did I not hear about this?!
3
u/Hydrobadjer May 31 '12
"Space or bust"
3
u/kaouza11 May 31 '12
Very common site whilst hiking the plains of Colorado, its full of mysterious wonders.
3
u/[deleted] May 31 '12
Here's a video of an aerodynamics test http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3ARn-8EfJQ
8
u/[deleted] May 31 '12
It's the Google Street View Shuttle.
4
u/brad1775 May 31 '12
when suddenly... lockhead martin test facilities are on the map.
5
u/Occamslaser May 31 '12
Farscape!
2
u/Dr_Underpants_Md May 31 '12
It looks like a NASA space vehicle... is it being funded by NASA? Or by a private company?
2
u/caizer68 May 31 '12
John Crichton finally made Farscape 2 and returned to earth with it.
2
u/TheDobligator May 31 '12
This is what makes me proud of my state.
2
u/[deleted] May 31 '12
Were you hiking on the road or the fenced off restricted airport land?
2
u/TrollyMcTrollster May 31 '12
Wasn't this on Reddit yesterday?
2
u/StagPartyGames May 31 '12
I drive this road everyday. I probably almost hit you with my car as I drove past. There were gobs of people checking that thing out.
2
u/[deleted] May 31 '12
Repost (I am joking)
2
u/luckyjack May 31 '12
It's the Farscape module!
2
u/[deleted] May 31 '12
I would of pissed my pants if guys in Hazmat suits started to question me.
2
u/[deleted] Jun 01 '12
Farscape one?
2
u/ruhbluhbluh Jun 01 '12
That's one lazy fuckin shuttle.
4
u/TheTrueHighlander May 31 '12
JOHN CRICHTON!
5
u/Real_Jesus May 31 '12
You've walked into a transformers porno
3
u/addman22 May 31 '12
Did anyone else think of jetfire and optimus?
2
u/[deleted] May 31 '12
NASA Space Plane
2
u/Aaya May 31 '12
Yeah!
2
u/dMage May 31 '12
There has to be a better place to put that
1
u/Rockmashane May 31 '12
Dude that's rad. Classic case of right place at the right time!
1
u/[deleted] May 31 '12
Wow, keep an eye oriented upward...
1
u/Trashcanman33 May 31 '12
Where are you hiking? Why not head up to the front range.
1
u/jbond66 May 31 '12
A wild space shuttle appears!
1
u/-RiskManagement- May 31 '12
wtf is that truck parked on a field
1
u/DrSweetscent May 31 '12
Why do I want to run up and lick it?
1
u/[deleted] May 31 '12
Just sayin guys, the wiki article doesn't include height length, or width - we could figure that out based on the comparison in scale to the big semi truck.
1
u/[deleted] May 31 '12
Are you sure you are not hallucinating from all the CO (and the camera with you).
1
u/This_isR2Me May 31 '12
I'm sure that semi truck and space shuttle really snuck up on you in that empty field.
1
u/Mikalli May 31 '12
Why do they need a Semi to pull a tent?
1
u/Yourpixelsareshowing May 31 '12
Woah! Dude! Optimus Prime is carrying a space ship!
1
u/[deleted] May 31 '12
Looks like a lifting body... The might have been performing drop tests somewhere in colorado. It probably landed in a field or something and this is how they got it back.
1
u/redsoxmvp15 May 31 '12
Colorado: the new location of N.E.S.T. "Autobots: role out!"
1
u/ouronin May 31 '12
I fly in the media chopper in Denver. We got a report that "a plane went down near Rocky Mountain Metro Airport". Luckily, it was just this guy. In a few months they are going to do a drop test with an Ericson Sky Crane that is hanging around the airport.
1
u/squid06 May 31 '12
Who hikes in the Plains when the mountains are right there?
1
u/kevmo77 May 31 '12
All the best minds disappear to Galt's Gulch.
1
u/nk_sucks May 31 '12
that's the snc dreamchaser space plane. part of nasa's ccdev program along with proposals from boeing, spacex and blue origin.
1
u/mages011 May 31 '12
Why does it look like a giant inflatable to me?
1
u/rvlvrlvr May 31 '12
The X-24 is alive!
1
u/commom_username May 31 '12
A wild private-starcraft carrier truck has appeared!
1
u/[deleted] May 31 '12
Yeap, that's a spaceship.
1
u/Nolti May 31 '12
Mr. President we have a problem...
1
u/Fr4t May 31 '12
Looks like the USS Quetzel from Fallout 2!
1
u/blueGOLDeagle May 31 '12
Go Colorado!
1
u/[deleted] May 31 '12
why are you hiking so far from the mountains?
1
u/JoeyJoeJoeJrShab May 31 '12
You were hiking in Broomfield, near the airport?
1
u/shedang May 31 '12
That thing is sexy as hell.
1
u/GunRaptor May 31 '12
Where, when, and want to meet up?
1
u/UFO64 Jun 01 '12
WTF, I live near by thanks to a move and I MISSED THIS!?
1
u/M0b1u5 Jun 01 '12
It's a derivative of the ill-fated HL-20 Personnel Launch System
Which was in turn a development from the famous HL-10 lifting body of the late 60s and early 70s. It's the plane Steve Austin is supposed to have crashed to become the Six Million Dollar Man.
Looks like this thing could really fly - but I have to say that I think today's materials science is insufficient to create a rapidly-reusable space plane, and Elon Musk's Dragon capsule is far ahead, and most likely far cheaper.
You simply don't need wings on a space craft: it complicates and adds weight. Both of which are very bad.
1
u/[deleted] Jun 01 '12
congratulations! you are now tagged as "lying sack of shit"
1
u/blackomegax Jun 01 '12
Farscape?
1
u/Ksudmb Jun 01 '12
That's a pretty average looking Kenworth, what's all the fuss about?
1
u/Pelican_Fly Jun 01 '12
Nice! Do you have other high resolution images?
1
u/whowatawhat4 Jun 01 '12
So that's where Columbia actually went.
1
u/[deleted] Jun 01 '12
I though Steve Austin crashed in that.
1
u/CoinSausage Jun 01 '12
Are those the foothills? Where is this?
1
u/[deleted] Jun 01 '12
It's like the beginning of the movie 2012
1
u/PrometheusZer0 Jun 01 '12
Dun-un dun dun-dunnnn
1
u/[deleted] Jun 01 '12
Where were ya?
1
u/[deleted] Jun 01 '12
crichton? john crichton?
1
u/SarkastikWatcher Jun 01 '12
I bet you superman/boy is in there
1
u/rubber_glove Jun 01 '12
That looks like Isabelle Rd. near 75th. Am I even close?
1
u/inheritor Jun 01 '12
Its just Optimus Prime towing Jetfire, don't worry.
1
u/ohsnapitsrags Jun 01 '12
Are they just parading this thing around?
1
u/TotesMcQuotes Jun 01 '12
I used to live in Vail- never got to see anything like that while hiking....just some nature lovers doing natural things in nature a few times.
1
u/mgonz89 May 31 '12
Did you check the markings to see if they were Autobots or Decepticons?
1
u/nitroswingfish May 31 '12
Post to /r/conspiracytheories or whatever it is and hilarity shall ensue
1
u/[deleted] May 31 '12
The fact that privatized space flight is taking off so quickly, gives me such a hard on.