Virgin Galactic

[Eric Mc]

I think we are getting a fair idea.

[Eric Mc]

Toaster said:

Einion Yrth said:

I think it may have been A.C.Clarke who remarked, when ballistic passenger transport was mentioned, that he couldn't see the appeal of a mode of transport where for half of the trip the lavatory was out of reach, and for the other half it was out of order.

You won't need a lavatory on the Galactic craft the trips too short.........maybe a sick bag though

The Apollo astronauts made do with plastic bags for two weeks.

[Eric Mc]

No need to resort to hocus pocus. You wear your heart on your sleeve and as a result, you have become extremely predictable.

From a psychological point of view, I would call it a "conditioned response".

[Eric Mc]

Toaster said:

is that a new career Eric....... as an amateur psychoanalyst my guess is you will be quoting Frued next.

Talking of Dog and Bell you often respond so eagerly, touch of the pot calling the kettle ....

Frued - did he play for Brazil?

[Eric Mc]

Don't you think that climbing to a height of 50 plus miles isn't interesting?

Don't you have a spirit of adventure or don't you have any sort of soul?

Does everything you do in life have to have some sort of "payback" mechanism in place to make it worthwhile?

And just because YOU can't see any "value" in something doesn't mean others don't.

And what mechanisms do you use to pace "value" on an activity? There are lots of things other people do and get satisfaction out of that I have no interest in at all - but I don't begrudge them their choice to partake. You seem to think that your view on something is enough to make that "£something" valueless. What an odd perception of the world and of other people.

[Eric Mc]

What can I say?

You have your opinions - I have mine.

Leave it at that.

[Eric Mc]

First free glide flight of the replacement Virgin Galactic has taken place.

http://www.space.com/34901-virgin-galactic-unity-s...

[Eric Mc]

We'll see.

SpaceX are discovering that this stuff isn't easy - at any level.

Good luck to all of them, I say.

[Eric Mc]

Just shows - after 50 years (almost) of a particular system, things can still go wrong.

[Eric Mc]

Well done to those guys. Finally getting there.

[Eric Mc]

He pulled a loop as well.

[Eric Mc]

It achieved just under Mach 2 and an altitude of 114,500 feet (22 miles).

The internal weight distribution and Centre of Gravity was closer to what it would if it was carrying a passenger load.

[Eric Mc]

If it is done properly, it doesn't put too much strain on the airframe. The X-1 and X-15 were both rolled on quite a few occasions.

[Eric Mc]

Don't bother.

[Eric Mc]

I know it's been posted before -

[Eric Mc]

Yep - the 367-80 . And Tex Johnson was indeed the pilot.

[Eric Mc]

No mention yet here of their aborted flight yesterday.

Looks like things didn't go to plan.

https://www.space.com/virgin-galactic-spaceshiptwo...

The rocket engine ignited for a very brief moment but almost immediately shut down - forcing the spacecraft to return to the airfield.

[Eric Mc]

Flooble said:

To be honest, I had forgotten all about them.

The other Virgin Galactic venture had an aborted attempt at launch too - the one with the rocket under the wing of a 747.

For a relatively unambitious vehicle (just about crosses the Karman line) which is directly iterated from the 2004 Spaceship One, they really aren't making much progress. Blue Origin have at least flown their sub-orbital capsule, several times.

These guys HAVE flown their craft above the Karman line a few times too - but they do seem to have an inordinate level of problems.

The other Virgin is not Virgin Galactic, it's Virgin Orbital - which is a different entity and not really connected.

[Eric Mc]

Computer glitch then.

[Eric Mc]

Oops.