FORKS — It fell far short of outer space. Now it’s selling in cyberspace.
As part of their hustle for money to finance their next rocket launch in a month, Space Transport Corp.’s Phillip Storm and Eric Meier on Wednesday put the remains of their ill-fated Rubicon spacecraft up for online auction at eBay.com.
For a $500 minimum bid, you get the twisted remains of Rubicon 1’s space capsule, nosecone and even the head of its astronaut mannequin which floated onto the beach Sunday afternoon.
Rubicon 1 launched from a Pacific Ocean beach bluff about two miles south of Queets, on the Olympic Peninsula’s southwest edge, about 4 p.m. last Sunday.
The test launch was part of the pair’s quest for the $10 million Ansari X Prize, which is encouraging private development of manned space flight through a competition that ends Dec. 31.
Hurtled into ocean
But just off the mobile launch pad, the rocket’s engine failed, resulting in an explosion that catapulted the obliterated spacecraft into the ocean.
Parts of the shattered Rubicon drifted ashore, including the mannequin head and hundreds of foam “peanuts” that had stuffed the faux astronaut’s body.
The failure was reported in words and photos worldwide via The Associated Press and TV networks Sunday night and Monday, launching a wave of public support and possible investors for a Rubicon 2.
Storm, in an e-mail message to Peninsula Daily News on Wednesday, joked about the head: “Not sure where that has wandered off to. I’ll have to ask Eric.”
A photo uploaded to eBay shows what’s left of the shattered capsule and nosecone, with the dummy’s head propped up on a piece of the wreckage.
The buyer must pay for shipping, eBay says.