Author Topic: Space Ship Two - General Thread  (Read 737486 times)

Offline cneth

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Re: Space Ship Two - Updates
« Reply #660 on: 07/19/2012 08:43 pm »
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/industry/9391867/Farnborough-Airshow-Bransons-Virgin-Galactic-spaceship-in-UK-debut.html

Some depressing comments under that Telegraph article, some of them don't say much for us Brits. :-[
I wouldn't take it personally - you can find the same ridiculous dreck in the comment section of any US newspaper site as well.  I'd dare to guess you'd see the same stuff in every country.    For some reason, the chance to make anonymous comments seems to bring out the worst in some folks.

Offline Jason1701

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Re: Space Ship Two - Updates
« Reply #661 on: 08/05/2012 06:18 pm »
George Whitesides at Mars Society
-Showed picture of carbon fiber filament-wound NOS tank for SS2
-LauncherOne cost could be well under $10M depending on specific need
-There will be no "baby" hybrid motor - SS2 will use full-up RM2 for first powered flight
-Expects service to begin before the end of 2013
-Joked about slipping schedule, and how soon they expected to fly after he became a customer years ago

Offline QuantumG

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Re: Space Ship Two - Updates
« Reply #662 on: 08/05/2012 09:56 pm »
I thought LauncherOne was supposed to be ~$1M.
Human spaceflight is basically just LARPing now.

Offline Jason1701

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Re: Space Ship Two - Updates
« Reply #663 on: 08/06/2012 02:11 am »
No, they have been saying $10M from the beginning.

Offline Danderman

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Re: Space Ship Two - Updates
« Reply #664 on: 08/06/2012 01:44 pm »
No, they have been saying $10M from the beginning.

More than the price of Falcon 1, with less capability.

Offline yg1968

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Re: Space Ship Two - Updates
« Reply #665 on: 08/06/2012 05:25 pm »
No, they have been saying $10M from the beginning.

Actually, they have been saying less than $10M.

Offline Nomadd

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Re: Space Ship Two - Updates
« Reply #666 on: 08/07/2012 11:46 am »
No, they have been saying $10M from the beginning.

More than the price of Falcon 1, with less capability.
Except there is no Falcon 1. A lot less than Pegasus for those who don't need 1,000 lb up.
« Last Edit: 10/16/2012 12:30 pm by Nomadd »
Those who danced were thought to be quite insane by those who couldn't hear the music.

Offline Moe Grills

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Re: Space Ship Two - Updates
« Reply #667 on: 08/17/2012 08:50 pm »
 Three glide tests with ten days.
August 2; August 7; August 11.

The SS2 flight summary page mentions that a "heavy" landing was achieved by the SS2 on August 7. (a fully-loaded rocket motor onboard?)

And on August, 11, all glide envelope expansion objectives met.
So in the coming days and weeks, we can expect to see the NEXT
phase of glide tests begin?

BTW, out of interest, avoid the Virgin Galactic website for useful info.
My computer keeps crashing when I log on to that site.

Offline Garrett

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Re: Space Ship Two - Updates
« Reply #668 on: 08/29/2012 10:23 am »
Moe has already mentioned that there were three glide tests at the beginning of August. I just thought I'd post the details of the last of those tests:

Quote

Flight:    93 / GF22
Date:    11 Aug 12   Flight Time:    8 min, 2 sec
SS2 Pilot:   Stucky   SS2 CoPilot:   Binnie
GS Crew:   MacKay, Jaster, Bozarth, Verderame, Cassebeer, M. Fuchs, Bourgeois, Glaser, Tighe, Bassett

Objectives:
Maximum glide flight mach and airspeed envelope expansion
Horizontal tail load expansion

Results:
All objectives achieved. With this latest round of six flights we have cleared the full glide-flight envelope for airspeed, angle-of-attack, CG, and structural loads!

Seems like it's only a matter of months (or weeks maybe?) before the powered flight phase begins.
- "Nothing shocks me. I'm a scientist." - Indiana Jones

Offline JohnFornaro

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Re: Space Ship Two - Updates
« Reply #669 on: 08/29/2012 02:21 pm »
Cool.  Successful incremental testing in keeping with their business plan, thankfully devoid of hyped up press conferences.
Sometimes I just flat out don't get it.

Offline mr. mark

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Re: Space Ship Two - Updates
« Reply #670 on: 09/14/2012 01:46 pm »
Non engine glide tests have now been officially completed. Next phase includes several glide tests with motor installed before full motor tests start later this year.Motor installation is underway.

http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/virgin-galactic-finishes-unpowered-flight-test-376475/

Offline daver

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Re: Space Ship Two - Updates
« Reply #671 on: 10/06/2012 01:26 pm »
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20121005005907/en/Virgin-Galactic-Acquires-Full-Ownership-Spaceship-Company

"Virgin Galactic, the world’s first commercial spaceline, today announced that it has taken 100% ownership of its sister company, The Spaceship Company (TSC), by acquiring the 30% stake held by Scaled Composites"

Offline Orbiter

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Re: Space Ship Two - Updates
« Reply #672 on: 10/15/2012 06:48 pm »
Good news!!
http://www.virgingalactic.com/news/item/xxx/ (ftp://http://www.virgingalactic.com/news/item/xxx/)
Virgin Galactic Reveals Privately Funded Satellite Launcher and Confirms SpaceShipTwo Poised for Powered Flight


Looks like it will be within a matter of months before SS2 attempts space.
KSC Engineer, astronomer, rocket photographer.

Offline Danderman

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Re: Space Ship Two - Updates
« Reply #673 on: 10/15/2012 10:29 pm »
Good news!!
http://www.virgingalactic.com/news/item/xxx/
Virgin Galactic Reveals Privately Funded Satellite Launcher and Confirms SpaceShipTwo Poised for Powered Flight


Looks like it will be within a matter of months before SS2 attempts space.

for whatever reason, the link above doesn't work, but this one does:

http://www.virgingalactic.com/news/item/xxx/

« Last Edit: 10/15/2012 10:29 pm by Danderman »

Online Comga

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Re: Space Ship Two - Updates
« Reply #674 on: 10/15/2012 10:47 pm »
Good news!!
http://www.virgingalactic.com/news/item/xxx/
Virgin Galactic Reveals Privately Funded Satellite Launcher and Confirms SpaceShipTwo Poised for Powered Flight

Looks like it will be within a matter of months before SS2 attempts space.

for whatever reason, the link above doesn't work, but this one does:
http://www.virgingalactic.com/news/item/xxx/

That may work for you, but not for me.  The root link http://www.virgingalactic.com doesn't work for me either.

How about posting an exerpt?
What kind of wastrels would dump a perfectly good booster in the ocean after just one use?

Offline Jason1701

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Re: Space Ship Two - Updates
« Reply #675 on: 10/16/2012 12:44 am »
This is no news whatsoever.

Offline Retired Downrange

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Re: Space Ship Two - Updates
« Reply #676 on: 10/16/2012 01:19 am »
From the article:

LauncherOne will be a two-stage vehicle capable of carrying up to 500 pounds (225 kilograms) to orbit for prices below $10 million. The rocket will be launched from Virgin Galactic’s proven WhiteKnightTwo, the uniquely capable aircraft also designed to carry SpaceShipTwo aloft to begin her suborbital missions. Thanks to the extreme flexibility of air launch, Virgin Galactic’s customers will enjoy reduced infrastructure costs in addition to the wide range of possible launch locations tailored to individual mission requirements and weather conditions. Branson and other senior executives announced that work has already begun on the vehicle.
...

Several LauncherOne customers were recognized at the event, representing a broad range of commercial satellite applications. Those named were Skybox Imaging (Skybox), a Silicon Valley-based firm that recently announced it has raised $91 million for a high resolution imaging constellation; GeoOptics Inc., a U.S.-based company developing a constellation of non-imaging remote sensing satellites; Spaceflight, Inc., the aggregator and integrator of small satellites; and Planetary Resources, Inc., the newly-announced, billionaire-backed asteroid mining venture.

Offline Orbiter

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Re: Space Ship Two - Updates
« Reply #677 on: 10/16/2012 01:33 am »
This is no news whatsoever.

The part were they're talking powered flights by the end of the year is news, at least to me, I hadn't heard about it and this thread has been empty for a few weeks so.  ;)
KSC Engineer, astronomer, rocket photographer.

Offline Danderman

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Re: Space Ship Two - Updates
« Reply #678 on: 10/16/2012 04:59 am »
"Today during the Farnborough International Air Show 2012, Virgin Galactic, the world’s first commercial spaceline, announced “LauncherOne”, a new air-launched rocket specifically designed to deliver small satellites into orbit. With substantial funding already raised from Virgin Galactic’s partner aabar Investments PJS, and with commercial flights of this new orbital launch vehicle expected to begin by 2016, Virgin Galactic aims to offer frequent and dedicated launches at the world’s lowest prices. Virgin Galactic also announced that four private companies have already put down deposits as future LauncherOne customers, expressing their intent to purchase a total of several dozen launches, which would exceed the level of early commitment of any previous new launch vehicle."

Offline spectre9

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Re: Space Ship Two - Updates
« Reply #679 on: 10/17/2012 01:20 am »
If you have $90 mill you can afford Falcon 9 yes?

Considering it's a bit better value per kilo...

I really don't see launcher one working out. They will just create business to be stolen.

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