Well perhaps long awaited by the two guys at the centre of Project Enterprise who have probably wondered whatever happened to the April 2009 interview Hyperbola did with them at the Space Access Society conference in Phoenix, Arizona - you can hear the wildlife in the background. But here it is anyway, I knew I hadn't lost it...
Warning: This video was taken with a Flip video camera and while attempts to improve the audio through Windows Movie Maker have been made this blog takes no responsibility for the quality at your end
on August 28, 2009 11:33 PM | Reply
Hey, thanks Rob.
I for one am glad to see this posted. I had heard that the European private space guys were at Space Access but have not been able to find much out about them.
on September 1, 2009 11:36 AM | Reply
I felt a bit bad about not posting it just after the conference back in April and finally had the time this week to find it and upload it. I can't see any reference on their website about this scale model flight they refer to in the video. RC aircraft are easily crashed so I would imagine that is what happened. The USA is lucky with a military that thinks nothing of giving out $250,000 at a time for testing ideas that might not go anywhere while European countries are so cash strapped they can't do that. That and a lack of wealthy men inspired by space exploration means European efforts are very small beer as we would say here in the UK.
on September 7, 2009 10:26 PM | Reply
I beg to differ my dear Rob. Do not forget that the most developed and valued Space Tourism company is in fact European. Virgin Galactic is based on the European Union, yes the UK is still in the EU. As for being cash-strapped, the combination of public and private deficit of the US has re-defined the term.
If you look at high-end (formerly known as luxury) services and products. Be them cars, watches, electronics, paper, clothing, whisky, shoes, private jets, boats, you name it, it's a European business. The attention short span that most US entities show is not so compatible with the sort of quality that discerning high-end customers require.
This does not mean all projects in Europe are well funded, Project Enterprise is clearly not. Europeans value discretion and that may have to do with the apparent lack of "buzz" more than the public finances of European states.
In the long run, the players will be from the EU.