[USMA:30201] Re: SpaceShipOne

[MightyChimp]

I'm replying to my own post with a question.   Does anyone know if NASA's intended definition of the edge of space at 50 miles is 50 miles statute or nautical?  One converts to 80.5 km and the other to 92.6 km.  Of course the average person on the street does not the difference between the two or that there is even a difference.  But I was under the impression that NASA's use of miles was nautical in nature and thus the edge of space as defined by NASA should be about 93 km.  The nautical definition puts the boundary much closer to the accepted metric definition.   Euric         Here was something that appeared in the local paper this morning: The competition, which began in 1996, has attracted more then two dozend teams from around the world.  It requires contestants to fly three people to an altitude of 62 miles [should have read 100 km] and then to repeat the flight with the same craft within two weeks.  The boundary of space is not well defined; NASA gives astronaut status to anyone who has flown higher then 50 miles, but some European authorities mark the border at 62 miles.  The X prize founders chose 62 miles.