Virgin Galactic
Discussion
Toaster said:
It was all a bit of a non event, is anyone really impressed with this fairground ride? Just how long and how much money has it taken a private company to launch a rocket powered craft that hardly does what the craft of the 60’s did?
Even Musk and Bezos are just replicating on what has gone before building on and using existing knowledge, vertical landing boosters are only possible due to Modern day hardware otherwise this could have been done back in the 60’s.
It hardly benefits mankind, and for those who do eventually go in to deep space it’s going to be boring and very dull, more a prison sentence and loss of personal freedoms........Just saying.......
Any other gems for what is pointless? Getting out of bed? Because, you know, you have virtually no impact on the Universe so what is the point. Even Musk and Bezos are just replicating on what has gone before building on and using existing knowledge, vertical landing boosters are only possible due to Modern day hardware otherwise this could have been done back in the 60’s.
It hardly benefits mankind, and for those who do eventually go in to deep space it’s going to be boring and very dull, more a prison sentence and loss of personal freedoms........Just saying.......
I'm impressed, commercial space flight during a pandemic (or any time), sure it's an expensive ride, but if you have the money what else can give you an experience like that?
Toaster said:
It was all a bit of a non event, is anyone really impressed with this fairground ride? Just how long and how much money has it taken a private company to launch a rocket powered craft that hardly does what the craft of the 60’s did?
Even Musk and Bezos are just replicating on what has gone before building on and using existing knowledge, vertical landing boosters are only possible due to Modern day hardware otherwise this could have been done back in the 60’s.
It hardly benefits mankind, and for those who do eventually go in to deep space it’s going to be boring and very dull, more a prison sentence and loss of personal freedoms........Just saying.......
Branson has merely extended his passenger travel/holiday portfolio with a new and potentially lucrative option.Even Musk and Bezos are just replicating on what has gone before building on and using existing knowledge, vertical landing boosters are only possible due to Modern day hardware otherwise this could have been done back in the 60’s.
It hardly benefits mankind, and for those who do eventually go in to deep space it’s going to be boring and very dull, more a prison sentence and loss of personal freedoms........Just saying.......
He isn't competing in the same space as Bezos and Musk, he is selling an experience to tourists.
He doesn't care about advancing mankind, he sells train tickets, plane tickets and now space tickets.
If he cared about his place in history, he wouldn't be a full time tax dodger begging the government for bail outs from his ideallic island.
Edited by hyphen on Monday 19th July 09:41
hyphen said:
Concorde threatened to break the ground, and they canned it 
Concorde poked through some ground that nobody in the airline business was that interested in breaking - at that time.Breakthroughs don't always lead to a valid, worthwhile or commercially viable technology. The "Graf Zeppelin" was a bit of a breakthrough in airship technology.
Eric Mc said:
Breakthroughs don't always lead to a valid, worthwhile or commercially viable technology. The "Graf Zeppelin" was a bit of a breakthrough in airship technology.
Working on it - give it time.
I love me a bit of space tech, but I struggle to position Virgin Galactic as anything other than space tourism for high rollers - and that's fine with me.
I am only an armchair expert, but I see nothing in the technology deployed which can act as a platform to move to orbital flight, or indeed point-to-point sub-orbital flight for the ultra-rich to traverse the globe.
The same broadly holds for New Shepard, with the potential for the experience gained in landing the first stage being informative for New Glenn, and the engine from Shepard being used in the upper stage of Glenn.
https://www.virginballoonflights.co.uk/
OMG what’s the point? They could do this in the 18th century!
Yeah, so what. It’s still an unique experience and I recommend everyone gives it a go.
OMG what’s the point? They could do this in the 18th century!
Yeah, so what. It’s still an unique experience and I recommend everyone gives it a go.
jingars said:
Working on it - give it time.
I love me a bit of space tech, but I struggle to position Virgin Galactic as anything other than space tourism for high rollers - and that's fine with me.
I am only an armchair expert, but I see nothing in the technology deployed which can act as a platform to move to orbital flight, or indeed point-to-point sub-orbital flight for the ultra-rich to traverse the globe.
The same broadly holds for New Shepard, with the potential for the experience gained in landing the first stage being informative for New Glenn, and the engine from Shepard being used in the upper stage of Glenn.
Not every craft is designed to be or is supposed to be a "breakthrough". I love me a bit of space tech, but I struggle to position Virgin Galactic as anything other than space tourism for high rollers - and that's fine with me.
I am only an armchair expert, but I see nothing in the technology deployed which can act as a platform to move to orbital flight, or indeed point-to-point sub-orbital flight for the ultra-rich to traverse the globe.
The same broadly holds for New Shepard, with the potential for the experience gained in landing the first stage being informative for New Glenn, and the engine from Shepard being used in the upper stage of Glenn.
We are now moving into the commercial exploitation of space related technology and propulsion systems rather than using the technology just for experimental, explorative or military purposes. The research and development has largely been done. Having said that, Virgin , New Shepard and SpaceX have all made significant advances in certain areas of rocket propulsion that had not been tried before by other spacecraft and rocket designers - so there is an element of "breakthrough" from a technical point of view.
I'd say its a breakthrough, everyday people (with lots of money) can have access to space. No extensive training, no spacesuits, just fun. If there is demand, which I'm sure there is, then the money they spend will provide a gateway to the next stage, eg. orbital space tourism.
Its great, I'm glad people will be able to do this now, its another step towards getting mankind out into the solar system.
Its great, I'm glad people will be able to do this now, its another step towards getting mankind out into the solar system.
46and2 said:
I'd say its a breakthrough, everyday people (with lots of money) can have access to space. No extensive training, no spacesuits, just fun. If there is demand, which I'm sure there is, then the money they spend will provide a gateway to the next stage, eg. orbital space tourism.
Its great, I'm glad people will be able to do this now, its another step towards getting mankind out into the solar system.
Are Virgin working on an orbital system, I don't think they're involved in Statolaunch are they? Its great, I'm glad people will be able to do this now, its another step towards getting mankind out into the solar system.
Because they launch at altitude and don't have anything like the amount of gravity losses a conventional rocket has, it doesn't actually need much dV for a sub orbital flight. Blue origin need around 2-3 times more dV than New Shepherd to make orbit, I wouldn't be surprised if Virgin need to increase theirs by a factor of 10 or more.
RizzoTheRat said:
Are Virgin working on an orbital system, I don't think they're involved in Statolaunch are they?
Because they launch at altitude and don't have anything like the amount of gravity losses a conventional rocket has, it doesn't actually need much dV for a sub orbital flight. Blue origin need around 2-3 times more dV than New Shepherd to make orbit, I wouldn't be surprised if Virgin need to increase theirs by a factor of 10 or more.
Yes they are - but currently for smaller unmanned satellites. They've had two successful satellite launches so far - Because they launch at altitude and don't have anything like the amount of gravity losses a conventional rocket has, it doesn't actually need much dV for a sub orbital flight. Blue origin need around 2-3 times more dV than New Shepherd to make orbit, I wouldn't be surprised if Virgin need to increase theirs by a factor of 10 or more.
RizzoTheRat said:
Are Virgin working on an orbital system, I don't think they're involved in Statolaunch are they?
Because they launch at altitude and don't have anything like the amount of gravity losses a conventional rocket has, it doesn't actually need much dV for a sub orbital flight. Blue origin need around 2-3 times more dV than New Shepherd to make orbit, I wouldn't be surprised if Virgin need to increase theirs by a factor of 10 or more.
Virgin Orbit, they are using a former Virgin Atlantic 747 as the mother ship to carry the rocket up to launch altitude. Because they launch at altitude and don't have anything like the amount of gravity losses a conventional rocket has, it doesn't actually need much dV for a sub orbital flight. Blue origin need around 2-3 times more dV than New Shepherd to make orbit, I wouldn't be surprised if Virgin need to increase theirs by a factor of 10 or more.
) tourism, do they plan to develop orbital tourism?No stated ambitions at this point. Indeed, apart from SpaceX and the Russians, nobody else is in a position to offer rides to non-essential passengers on orbital flights. The Chinese could but will not allow it at the moment.
We are a few years away from tourist orbital flights.
For orbital flight you need a booster in the 1 million pound thrust category - at least. That means, at the moment, a Soyuz rocket (R-7) a Falcon 9, a Long March 4 or an Atlas V.
Orbital flight requires the ability to boost the payload to a speed of 17,500 mph. That sets the minimum size of the rocket.
We are a few years away from tourist orbital flights.
For orbital flight you need a booster in the 1 million pound thrust category - at least. That means, at the moment, a Soyuz rocket (R-7) a Falcon 9, a Long March 4 or an Atlas V.
Orbital flight requires the ability to boost the payload to a speed of 17,500 mph. That sets the minimum size of the rocket.
Toaster said:
Eric Mc said:
The usual old tripe.
indeed its a vacuous endevour a view which is valid and held by many.... By the way, there are two recognised ways of spelling "endeavour"( endeavour/endeavor) - neither of which you used
Eric Mc said:
Especially people who have no sense of fun or adventure. I'm off to my own vacuous endeavour this evening - I won't tell you what it is as you won't approve.
By the way, there are two recognised ways of spelling "endeavour"( endeavour/endeavor) - neither of which you used
Ah Eric my friend despite a misspelling I clearly communicated and you understood the meaning so there we go.. I trust you had a good evening. Fun and adventure is something I am well acquainted with. By the way, there are two recognised ways of spelling "endeavour"( endeavour/endeavor) - neither of which you used
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