Rutan Vs. Rutan: Rocket Plane to fly in Space

Image: XCOR Rocket Plane gallery; X-15; X-24B
Info: Letter from an XCOR investor (w/excellent links)

The XCOR Rocket Plane, a modified Long-EZ push-prop kit plane designed by Burt Rutan and flown by his brother and experienced pilot Dick Rutan, continues to astound and amaze spectators at Mojave Airport.
It uses non-toxic fuel, can be turned off and on at the pilot's discretion and has a track record of 2,000 firings without a mishap.
The plane itself is not quite suited for Space travel however, but the design information gleaned from years worth of test flights has given them an edge. In fact, nobody has come close to doing what they've done in decades. Listen to this snippet from a story in the Valley Press:


In addition to the EZ-Rocket, XCOR also has a government contract with the National Reconnaissance Office, creating satellite rockets that use nontoxic fuels.
Wednesday's flight was the first time since the 105th flight of the X-1 program that a rocket plane completed a flight after taking off from the ground on its own power. Other rocket-powered aircraft such as the X-15 were carried aloft by a larger airplane then launched in the air.
It was also the first flight of a rocket-powered aircraft since the final flight of the X-24B - the last of NASA's lifting body program - in 1975.

Who knows, we may be witness to the beginning of a Space Empire. Rutan Space Rockets--it's a figment of my imagination, but it has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?