Virgin Galactic - would you go to space?

[srebbe64]

Richard Branson is seriously intending to offer space tourism:

www.virgingalactic.com/

If you were able, would you consider going to space for a few minutes? Personally, I really fancy the idea, although I'd want others to prove the safety first!

[einion yrth]

srebbe64 said:

Richard Branson is seriously intending to offer space tourism: www.virgingalactic.com/ If you were able, would you consider going to space for a few minutes? Personally, I really fancy the idea, although I'd want others to prove the safety first!

In principle, yes definitely, at those prices, you've gotta be joking.

[crazydave]

Given the way Virgin trains and the airline is run

Sounds like fun to me!

[srebbe64]

crazydave said:

Given the way Virgin trains and the airline is run Sounds like fun to me!

I've never been on a Virgin train, but I've always found the airline to be excellent.

[crazydave]

In all fairness I don't think the airline is too bad and the problems with the trains can't just be down to Virgin alone.

Personally I like Richard Branson and most of his ventures are commendable.

Good luck to him.

However if I'm going to travel somewhere without atmosphere I don't want to hear that anything has gone wrong whatsoever.

[Incorrigible]

einion yrth said:

In principle, yes definitely, at those prices, you've gotta be joking.

What were the prices, I couldn't find them

[srebbe64]

Incorrigible said:

einion yrth said: In principle, yes definitely, at those prices, you've gotta be joking. What were the prices, I couldn't find them

I seem to recall it was about £100k per person.

[lazyitus]

Without a doubt. It must be THE most amazing thing that an earth human can do.

Imagine going into space and being able to hide the earth behind your hand and thinking to yourself 'everything that is anything to me, is behind my hand'.

Barring some miracle, I will never achieve this literally out of this world experience due to the required cash.

[eharding]

£100K? - Branson's taking the mickey - we managed
to get a sub-orbital photo last weekend, cost
about 50 quid......

[tim.tonal]

Isn't 'Virgin Galactic' overstating things a bit for a company that wants to do sub-orbital flights?

It's not even 'Virgin Solar System'

[KITT]

I would love to go into space

Unfortunately I doubt I'll ever be able to afford to do so

[JagLover]

I can think of far better things to spend my money on.

[simpo two]

It might be cheaper in the long run if we clubbed together and put Gordon Brown on it. One-way ticket to the Moon.

[viper_larry]

One day people will look back with the same impassion (?) as we do for the first air travellers. Save your money, one day such flights will be had with RyanSpace for £0.99 + Taxes

[Pigeon]

Not unless they develop a space elevator instead of this brute-force rocket shit.

[crazydave]

Pigeon said:

Not unless they develop a space elevator instead of this brute-force rocket shit.

You're not one of these "If God had meant us to fly, he would have given us wings", people are you Pigeon?

[chim_knee]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Kind of - "The Thighs The Limit" then, eh?

[speedtwelve]

Bear in mind that you're getting something like a Mach 3 sub-orbital ballistic lob for your hundred grand. A few minutes of weightlessness, a great view, and that's about it. Other than being able to tell your mates about it in the pub. It ain't going to be like going up in the shuttle, which goes from rest to Mach 25 in 8 minutes. On the Virgin lobs the curvature of the Earth will be visible, but it won't be anything like being able to cover the entire Earth with your hand...

Don't get me wrong, I think it's a great concept, and I'll bet there'll be plenty takers. But a trip to Cape Town to go very supersonic in a two-seat Lightning followed by a day driving F1 cars in France would be at least as nuch fun and cost a tenth as much.

Incidentally I reckon the airline is excellent... Don't know about the trains.

ST

[chim_knee]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

You ain't gettin' nowhere near my thighs, not any day of the week! <- OMG what a fd up choice for a smilie!

>> Edited by chim_knee on Friday 8th April 16:23

[dilbert]

I saw the telemetry data presented in "Aviation and Space Week".

I can assure you it's a pretty rough ride!

>> Edited by dilbert on Friday 8th April 16:23