Virgin Galactic.
Discussion
I did a search and was suprised not to see a thread on this yet!
What a fascinating and interesting project.
http://www.virgingalactic.com/
http://www.firstpost.com/tech/first-space-tourism-...
http://www.spacesafetymagazine.com/?s=virgin+galac...
Sir Richard Branson has announced that he and his children will be the first passengers when the Virgin Galactic space tourism programme takes off next year.
The entrepreneur, son Sam and daughter Holly are expected to be flying 60 miles up into space on the SpaceShipTwo (SS2) aircraft.
Yesterday, Sir Richard joined around 120 other tourists who have signed up for the two-hour flights, at a cost of £128,000 a trip.
The lucky few posed with the Virgin boss at Farnborough Air Show beside a replica of SS2.
It was also announced that the WhiteKnightTwo aircraft - set to help launch SS2 into space - will also be used for a new launch vehicle - LauncherOne - which will ferry small satellites into space for around a tenth of the present cost.
The Virgin Galactic team said a number of companies were keen to use LauncherOne.
From Spaceport America, built in the U.S. state of New Mexico by UK architect Lord Foster, WhiteKnightTwo will take the SS2, with six passengers and two pilots, to a point about 50,000ft up before the SS2 rockets into space.
Sir Richard and other passengers will be able to float around the cabin due to weightlessness before the SS2 effectively becomes a glider for its return to the spaceport.
Virgin Galactic has announced that a total of 529 people - including, it is believed, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie and Ashton Kutcher - have signed up for an SS2 trip.
The number now outstrips the 528 who have gone into space since Yuri Gagarin's first trip in 1961.
'Next year Holly and Sam will be joining me for a first voyage into space,' Sir Richard told a media conference.
'Going into space is a hard business. It keeps my mind buzzing.'
He added that he would have loved to have taken WhiteKnightTwo and SS2 to Farnborough.
And in a jokey remark concerning Virgin's big airline rival, Sir Richard added: 'It would have been nice to have flown over the Olympic Games, especially as British Airways is one of the (Games) sponsors.'
A number of the space tourists posed for pictures beside the SS2 replica.
They included Irish businessman and author Bill Cullen, 70, who was the first to sign up for a trip in 2004.
Accompanied by his partner, Jackie Lavin, he said: 'I wanted to be the first Irishman in space and I'm really looking forward to it.
'I've been interested in space ever since I followed comic hero Dan Dare when I was a kid.'
Fellow space tourist and businessman Grant Roberts, 36, who was accompanied by father Michael, 65, and grandfather Frank Roberts, 90, who was an RAF pilot who flew on missions over Germany in the Second World War.
'I was inspired by the exploits of my grandfather, as was my father,' said Grant Roberts, who paid for his space trip in 2007.
He added: 'I can't wait to go up. The whole family plans to travel out to New Mexico with me.'
Virgin Galactic recently announced that it expects to make rocket-powered test flights of its passenger spaceship later this year.
What a fascinating and interesting project.
http://www.virgingalactic.com/
http://www.firstpost.com/tech/first-space-tourism-...
http://www.spacesafetymagazine.com/?s=virgin+galac...
Sir Richard Branson has announced that he and his children will be the first passengers when the Virgin Galactic space tourism programme takes off next year.
The entrepreneur, son Sam and daughter Holly are expected to be flying 60 miles up into space on the SpaceShipTwo (SS2) aircraft.
Yesterday, Sir Richard joined around 120 other tourists who have signed up for the two-hour flights, at a cost of £128,000 a trip.
The lucky few posed with the Virgin boss at Farnborough Air Show beside a replica of SS2.
It was also announced that the WhiteKnightTwo aircraft - set to help launch SS2 into space - will also be used for a new launch vehicle - LauncherOne - which will ferry small satellites into space for around a tenth of the present cost.
The Virgin Galactic team said a number of companies were keen to use LauncherOne.
From Spaceport America, built in the U.S. state of New Mexico by UK architect Lord Foster, WhiteKnightTwo will take the SS2, with six passengers and two pilots, to a point about 50,000ft up before the SS2 rockets into space.
Sir Richard and other passengers will be able to float around the cabin due to weightlessness before the SS2 effectively becomes a glider for its return to the spaceport.
Virgin Galactic has announced that a total of 529 people - including, it is believed, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie and Ashton Kutcher - have signed up for an SS2 trip.
The number now outstrips the 528 who have gone into space since Yuri Gagarin's first trip in 1961.
'Next year Holly and Sam will be joining me for a first voyage into space,' Sir Richard told a media conference.
'Going into space is a hard business. It keeps my mind buzzing.'
He added that he would have loved to have taken WhiteKnightTwo and SS2 to Farnborough.
And in a jokey remark concerning Virgin's big airline rival, Sir Richard added: 'It would have been nice to have flown over the Olympic Games, especially as British Airways is one of the (Games) sponsors.'
A number of the space tourists posed for pictures beside the SS2 replica.
They included Irish businessman and author Bill Cullen, 70, who was the first to sign up for a trip in 2004.
Accompanied by his partner, Jackie Lavin, he said: 'I wanted to be the first Irishman in space and I'm really looking forward to it.
'I've been interested in space ever since I followed comic hero Dan Dare when I was a kid.'
Fellow space tourist and businessman Grant Roberts, 36, who was accompanied by father Michael, 65, and grandfather Frank Roberts, 90, who was an RAF pilot who flew on missions over Germany in the Second World War.
'I was inspired by the exploits of my grandfather, as was my father,' said Grant Roberts, who paid for his space trip in 2007.
He added: 'I can't wait to go up. The whole family plans to travel out to New Mexico with me.'
Virgin Galactic recently announced that it expects to make rocket-powered test flights of its passenger spaceship later this year.
Edited by y2blade on Thursday 12th July 15:44
plasticpig said:
I disregarded that one.
Fair enough I suppose. I haven't read the thread in question if I am honest.
I like the idea and the video on the virgin galactic homepage http://www.virgingalactic.com/ sells it well, in a cheesy promo video sort of way.
If I had the money I would seriously consider it, but I am a liability with money.
I like the idea and the video on the virgin galactic homepage http://www.virgingalactic.com/ sells it well, in a cheesy promo video sort of way.
If I had the money I would seriously consider it, but I am a liability with money.
Very exciting project.
The film about the projects inception and its maiden voyage into orbit was fantastic.
I'm still quite amazed that the test pilot didn't die when all the electrics went down at thousands of miles an hour!! He did an incredible job to keep it pointed up by looking at the horizon out of the side window. I think he said it was the scariest moment of his life, quickly followed by the best.
The, of course, Mr B arrived and gave the project the cash it deserves.
Spaceport one is already constructed and viewable on google maps
Personally, I'd rather wait a couple of years when hopefully it'll be more tried and tested, the trips will go higher and last longer, and hopefully only cost a third of the £128k it costs today.
Then, I'll be signing up
The film about the projects inception and its maiden voyage into orbit was fantastic.
I'm still quite amazed that the test pilot didn't die when all the electrics went down at thousands of miles an hour!! He did an incredible job to keep it pointed up by looking at the horizon out of the side window. I think he said it was the scariest moment of his life, quickly followed by the best.
The, of course, Mr B arrived and gave the project the cash it deserves.
Spaceport one is already constructed and viewable on google maps
Personally, I'd rather wait a couple of years when hopefully it'll be more tried and tested, the trips will go higher and last longer, and hopefully only cost a third of the £128k it costs today.
Then, I'll be signing up
If I had a spare £120k this wouldn't be too high up on the list of things to do with it. Not until a lot of test flights had returned.
How much will the insurance be for these flights, they will have some of the wealthiest people in the world on them and are probably quite risky from an insurance point of view?
How much will the insurance be for these flights, they will have some of the wealthiest people in the world on them and are probably quite risky from an insurance point of view?
doogz said:
BoRED S2upid said:
If I had a spare £120k this wouldn't be too high up on the list of things to do with it. Not until a lot of test flights had returned.
How much will the insurance be for these flights, they will have some of the wealthiest people in the world on them and are probably quite risky from an insurance point of view?
I do wonder how reliable it will be. Modern aircraft are pretty good in that respect. But 1.5% of space shuttle flights didn't end well.How much will the insurance be for these flights, they will have some of the wealthiest people in the world on them and are probably quite risky from an insurance point of view?
Some like Eric will be along in a min to inform us all.
Mr Noble said:
Thanks, that was quality. I'm a sucker for a bit of The Discovery Channel.y2blade said:
That is amazing. Wow.Gassing Station | Boats, Planes & Trains | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff