#ORIGIN FOR MAC WINDOW SIZE WINDOWS#

Reaching this boundary, known as the Kármán line, earns the space traveler an astronaut badge. 'What you pay for is the prestige of being an astronaut,' by getting to 62 miles (100 kilometers) above Earth, Rutan said. The space plane's pilot would roll the craft upside down, left and right, using reaction jets at maximum altitude so everyone on board would get a variety of views, he said. During boost and all of the zero-g time you would have a wonderful view,' Rutan said. 'A center seat would be just as good as a side seat, because you'd have a window directly above your head. However, that design choice, as well as a highest-point goal of 81 miles (130 kilometers), was not pursued, he said. I made some decisions all based on maximizing the experience,' including having center seats. 'I did spec out a nine-passenger vehicle, not six. 'Beyond that, I didn't do design work on the Richard Branson commercial space program,' he said. (Image credit: Blue Origin) Center seatsįor SpaceShipTwo - which Virgin Galactic is developing for passenger flights to suborbital space - Rutan drew up preliminary specifications and goals. The window size of Blue Origin's New Shepard vehicle, compared to those of a Concorde supersonic jet and a Boeing 747. Then, they never worried about window strength while in space.' Rutan said. 'At well above the highest pressure, on the ground, I gave a sharp welding hammer to the pilots of SpaceShipOne, challenging them to break the polycarbonate outer window.

These were sized so that, if one blew out, the high-flying aircraft would maintain enough pressurization to keep people alive during the plane's descent.

#ORIGIN FOR MAC WINDOW SIZE WINDOWS#

He pointed out, for example, the small porthole-like windows used in the Concorde supersonic transport program. Rutan also underscored the engineering design issues, materials required and rigorous stress testing needed when fabricating shatterproof windows. 'I applaud Bezos for recognizing the need for big windows,' as they are a must for maximizing a passenger's experience, Rutan told. Passengers plunking down dollars for flight into space demand an outstanding view, said famed aerospace engineer Burt Rutan, designer of SpaceShipOne, the first privately financed spacecraft to carry an ordinary citizen into space. (Image credit: Courtesy of Scaled Composites, LLC) Maximizing passenger experience

SpaceShipOne returns to the runway following a suborbital flight.

Origin for mac window size