Here's every ship that's ever carried an astronaut into orbit

May 23, 2020
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I don't think Gemini ever docked with each other. Only a rendezvous. Gemini docked with Agena. Photo caption "A view of the Gemini 7 spacecraft in orbit, as seen from Gemini 6 before the two capsules docked in 1965. (Image credit: NASA) "
 
May 23, 2020
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One spacecraft was missing, The X15 from the 1960's. It did make it into space, passing the line at 100 kM twice in July and August of 1963.
 
May 23, 2020
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The article is incorrect concerning the retiring of Spaceship One. It was destroyed when the co-pilot feathered the tail section too soon during re-entry. The ship was NOT retired as the article states...

Larry
 
May 6, 2020
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The article is incorrect concerning the retiring of Spaceship One. It was destroyed when the co-pilot feathered the tail section too soon during re-entry. The ship was NOT retired as the article states...

Larry
Spaceship One is in the National Air and Space Museum in Washington. What you are talking about is the first Spaceship Two craft 'VSS Enterprise', that was destroyed in a crash.
 
May 23, 2020
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Still more errors in the list:
Orbital - you left out the upper stage of the lunar module. in 1969 it rocked astronauts from the moon into lunar orbit..
Suborbital - SpaceShipTwo has never flown to space. It has come close, by exceeding 80 kilometers. But space starts at 100 km.
The USAF passed out "Astronaut badges" to eight X-15 pilots who flew above 50 statute miles, but only Joe Walker flew above 100 km - two consecutive X-15 flights in 1963. Joe was better known for running his F-104 fighter into the world's most expensive airplane at the time, the #2 XB-70, killing him and one of the B-70 pilots.

Only 2 spaceships have been piloted into space, the X-15 and SpaceShipOne. All other pilots sat and watched a computer do the task.

burt rutan
 
May 23, 2020
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Still more errors in the list:
Orbital - you left out the upper stage of the lunar module. in 1969 it rocked astronauts from the moon into lunar orbit..
Suborbital - SpaceShipTwo has never flown to space. It has come close, by exceeding 80 kilometers. But space starts at 100 km.
The USAF passed out "Astronaut badges" to eight X-15 pilots who flew above 50 statute miles, but only Joe Walker flew above 100 km - two consecutive X-15 flights in 1963. Joe was better known for running his F-104 fighter into the world's most expensive airplane at the time, the #2 XB-70, killing him and one of the B-70 pilots.

Only 2 spaceships have been piloted into space, the X-15 and SpaceShipOne. All other pilots sat and watched a computer do the task.

burt rutan
Thanks Burt -- I should have caught the LM note -- so glad you did. And yes, the line for space changed from 50 to 62 miles -- but missing the X15 was just poor history gathering.

Kevin Cousineau
 
May 23, 2020
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A challenge for you.

I like to count rocket systems, rather than capsules. For example the Mercury capsule was boosted by two rocket systems: Redstone and Atlas. The apollo capsule was flown to space by two rocket systems: Saturn 1b and Saturn V.
My claim: in the 1960s, humans were flown to space by TEN separate rocket systems. Can you name them in chronological order? How many of these were American?

Another claim: from 1970 to today, only THREE new rocket systems flew humans to space. Name them.

Everyone I have asked have failed to correctly answer the claims. I have asked Space Historians, two NASA administrators, audience of 1500 NASA employees at Goddard and many others.

Can you be the first? Not fair to use Google..... Oops, you cannot count the LM upper stage, since you already failed that test in your published article.

Burt
 

COLGeek

Moderator
A challenge for you.

I like to count rocket systems, rather than capsules. For example the Mercury capsule was boosted by two rocket systems: Redstone and Atlas. The apollo capsule was flown to space by two rocket systems: Saturn 1b and Saturn V.
My claim: in the 1960s, humans were flown to space by TEN separate rocket systems. Can you name them in chronological order? How many of these were American?

Another claim: from 1970 to today, only THREE new rocket systems flew humans to space. Name them.

Everyone I have asked have failed to correctly answer the claims. I have asked Space Historians, two NASA administrators, audience of 1500 NASA employees at Goddard and many others.

Can you be the first? Not fair to use Google..... Oops, you cannot count the LM upper stage, since you already failed that test in your published article.

Burt
Sounds like you have knowledge that would benefit with the community. Please share.
 
May 23, 2020
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Sounds like you have knowledge that would benefit with the community. Please share.
I will try

Russian SL-3 booster (with Vostoks)
US Redstone (With Mercury)
US B52/X15
US Atlas (With Mecury)
Russian SL-4 (With Soyuz)
US Titan (With Gemini
US Saturn 1B (With Apollo)
US Saturn V (With Apollo)
US Shuttle
Chinese Long March

Kevin c
 
May 23, 2020
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Sorry Burt -- how could I make a list without Space Ship 1????

That makes 11, but if you consider that the Russian boosters were really the same type of booster, just an upgrade then the total would be 10.

Kevin c
 
May 27, 2020
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Another issue: the external fuel tank from STS was not "painted" the rust-orange color. That color is from the natural state of the foam insulation that coated the outside of the tank. In STS 1 and 2, the tank was actually painted white for reflectivity purposes, but the decision was later made to save weight and avoid painting the exterior.
 

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