Space Ship Two - General Thread

[Orbiter]

Update thread for SpaceShipTwo.

[ChefPat]

Here's a "The Space Review Article

http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1165/1

[Orbiter]

Shame, they slipped the first test flight to 2010.
Could be a way to Fill in the Gap if you look at it, with the Dragon.

[Jim]

Shame, they slipped the first test flight to 2010.
Could be a way to Fill in the Gap if you look at it, with the Dragon.

No, it is not a orbital vehicle.   It has less than 1/10 of the propulsion capability needed to go into orbit. 

[Orbiter]

Shame, they slipped the first test flight to 2010.
Could be a way to Fill in the Gap if you look at it, with the Dragon.

No, it is not a orbital vehicle.   It has less than 1/10 of the propulsion capability needed to go into orbit. 

Well, I wasn't referring to a capability to reach Orbit, but SpaceShipThree will be Orbital. I heard maybe 2012 Test flight maybe? Im not even sure they are going to make it.
http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2005/08/23/201097/spaceshipthree-poised-to-follow-if-ss2-succeeds.html

[Jim]

Shame, they slipped the first test flight to 2010.
Could be a way to Fill in the Gap if you look at it, with the Dragon.

No, it is not a orbital vehicle.   It has less than 1/10 of the propulsion capability needed to go into orbit. 

Well, I wasn't referring to a capability to reach Orbit,

Then what "gap" would it fill?

[usn_skwerl]

Oh come on. He's referring to it giving us something to look at during the American manned spaceflight gap.

[hop]

Oh come on. He's referring to it giving us something to look at during the American manned spaceflight gap.

I'm pretty sure there's no powerpoint spacecraft gap in the foreseeable future

[Orbiter]

Oh come on. He's referring to it giving us something to look at during the American manned spaceflight gap.

Took the words out of my mouth.
Its also possible that Private industry's could beat us back to the moon.
I'm happy as long as Americans do it, Then Russians and China. Its possible that might be Virgins or SpaceX's long term goal? I mean, there's certainly good money to be made off that.

[Jim]

Oh come on. He's referring to it giving us something to look at during the American manned spaceflight gap.

Took the words out of my mouth.
Its also possible that Private industry's could beat us back to the moon.

The gap is about orbital flight, not flea hops.

[Eerie]

Its also possible that Private industry's could beat us back to the moon.

Right, because so many people are willing to pay hundreds of millions dollars to risk death and see boring, grey landscape.

Wait...

[gordo]

I see the names for the first 3 are Enterprise, Voyager and Columbia.  And you guess it Discovery and Challenger also on the list.

Enterprise is always a favourite, but it seems a bit strange using the orbiter names again so soon, however this is likely just the branson PR machine at its best.

[Orbiter]

Oh come on. He's referring to it giving us something to look at during the American manned spaceflight gap.

Took the words out of my mouth.
Its also possible that Private industry's could beat us back to the moon.

The gap is about orbital flight, not flea hops.

Flea Hops, isn't that what Alan Shepard did, and wasn't that the baby steps? Space Ship Three, which I have seen Rutan discuss about on the Show 'Black Sky' that he wanted to make an Orbital Space Craft, not sure when, but sometime within the 2010s.

[Orbiter]

Its also possible that Private industry's could beat us back to the moon.

Right, because so many people are willing to pay hundreds of millions dollars to risk death and see boring, grey landscape.

Wait...

Yes, I know a lot of people who are willing too, even with the price, I have asked people myself, People who are in their 40s, they just don't have the money. Besides, its taking like, 20 People to build SpaceShipTwo? Maybe 50 to get to the moon?

[Eerie]

Yes, I know a lot of people who are willing too, even with the price, I have asked people myself, People who are in their 40s, they just don't have the money. Besides, its taking like, 20 People to build SpaceShipTwo? Maybe 50 to get to the moon?

Commercial flight on Souyz is 20m$, and 3 people flew so far. SpaceShipTwo and Moon have NOTHING in common.

[Orbiter]

Yes, I know a lot of people who are willing too, even with the price, I have asked people myself, People who are in their 40s, they just don't have the money. Besides, its taking like, 20 People to build SpaceShipTwo? Maybe 50 to get to the moon?

Go read something about rockets, please. Commercial flight on Souyz is 20m$, and 3 people flew so far. SpaceShipTwo and Moon have NOTHING in common.

I know that. I wasn't refering to SpaceShipTwo going to the moon, no no, thats far out impossible. But what makes you think a Future design cant? And PS. I have read quite a few books about rockets, and I watched a few of those Souyz take up some.

[hop]

I know that. I wasn't refering to SpaceShipTwo going to the moon, no no, thats far out impossible. But what makes you think a Future design cant? And PS. I have read quite a few books about rockets, and I watched a few of those Souyz take up some.

No one is saying that Scaled couldn't eventually build an orbital spacecraft. However, simple observation shows that it would come after the end of the expected "gap", and so by definition can't reduce it.

Their hands are full with SS2, which has taken them several years, and isn't flying yet. An orbital vehicle is far, far harder than SS2. It will take longer to develop than SS1 or SS2 did.  Given how busy they are with SS2, it is unimaginable that they would start this seriously before 2010, and probably not for several years after that. Remember, after the original SS2 is flight tested and all the kinks worked out, they have to produce a whole fleet of them.

The idea of an orbital SS3 before 2014 is utterly ridiculous, unless someone hands Rutan a billion dollar check (and even then it would be pretty optimistic, building experience and staff takes time, and they have other major commitments)

[Orbiter]

I know that. I wasn't refering to SpaceShipTwo going to the moon, no no, thats far out impossible. But what makes you think a Future design cant? And PS. I have read quite a few books about rockets, and I watched a few of those Souyz take up some.

No one is saying that Scaled couldn't eventually build an orbital spacecraft. However, simple observation shows that it would come after the end of the expected "gap", and so by definition can't reduce it.

Their hands are full with SS2, which has taken them several years, and isn't flying yet. An orbital vehicle is far, far harder than SS2. It will take longer to develop than SS1 or SS2 did.  Given how busy they are with SS2, it is unimaginable that they would start this seriously before 2010, and probably not for several years after that. Remember, after the original SS2 is flight tested and all the kinks worked out, they have to produce a whole fleet of them.

The idea of an orbital SS3 before 2014 is utterly ridiculous, unless someone hands Rutan a billion dollar check (and even then it would be pretty optimistic, building experience and staff takes time, and they have other major commitments)

Well the Time frame is up in the air, But I know that he wants to do that. I agree with you post however, but I know that the 'gap' being filled to most people means Orbit, but Sub-Orbitals Still in space. I heard that NASA wanted to train Astronauts with SS2. Besides, there Still is Dragon.

[Ronsmytheiii]

Besides, there Still is Dragon.

Which is unmanned.If you have looked at mission coverage of Progress the only thing visible of any flights would be maybe the first launch and docking, with others simply covering the docking phase.

[cpcjr]

Besides, there Still is Dragon.

Which is unmanned.If you have looked at mission coverage of Progress the only thing visible of any flights would be maybe the first launch and docking, with others simply covering the docking phase.

Unmanned at first. Dragon is actualy designed to carry a crew. The key question is when will Space X be ready. There is at least a chance space X could fly a manned dragon before 2014.

A key question on the SS3 time table is how much work have they already done on the concept. They may be further along than we know.

As for SS2 while it can't fill the orbital gap it will still be be interesting to see.