Space Ship Two - General Thread

[mr. mark]

/-- "the propulsion system has become heavier than expected" since the flight tests started. This led to some changes to the landing gear and brakes.

http://hobbyspace.com/nucleus/?itemid=39273&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

It also should lead to less performance.    

[docmordrid]

Unless RM2 performance also went up. If so it could be a wash.

[TheFallen]

SpaceShipTwo replica at the Farnborough International Airshow in England

[bolun]

From http://twitter.com/BBCAmos

Virgin Galactic plan various announcements at Farnborough on Wednesday. Great model of SS2. ‪

http://t.co/Kl9lvHr5

[Comga]

Here is the link to an article on the June 26th test with a retraction for their blog about the June 20th test:
http://www.parabolicarc.com/2012/06/28/spaceshiptwo-completes-glide-test-rocketmotortwo-fired-twice-in-one-week/#more-40342

"There are also multiple reports of a parallel liquid-fuel engine development program to replace the hybrid. Those reports have been difficult to pin down with exact certainty. What changes, if any, such a move would require in SpaceShipTwo’s design and how it would affect the test schedule are uncertain."

Now that would be really interesting, and it makes a lot of sense.  Several groups have been successful in developing liquid fueled rockets in the last couple of years, but I haven't heard of any hybrids being developed other than RM-2. 

(What is the maximum thrust of RM-2?)

[Jason1701]

Here is the link to an article on the June 26th test with a retraction for their blog about the June 20th test:
http://www.parabolicarc.com/2012/06/28/spaceshiptwo-completes-glide-test-rocketmotortwo-fired-twice-in-one-week/#more-40342

Now that would be really interesting, and it makes a lot of sense.  Several groups have been successful in developing liquid fueled rockets in the last couple of years, but I haven't heard of any hybrids being developed other than RM-2. 

Whittinghill Aerospace and the Space Propulsion Group are working on relatively large hybrids.

[bolun]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/industry/9391867/Farnborough-Airshow-Bransons-Virgin-Galactic-spaceship-in-UK-debut.html

The rockets on Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo have been qualified for powered flight and could conduct test runs before the end of the year.

The first paying passengers are likely to be flown into space in 2014.

A total of 529 people - more than the number of humans who have ever travelled to space - have put their names down for the $200,000 (£130,000) trips, which will last for around two hours and travel 60 miles high.

Virgin Galactic is now also planning to launch satellites into space by 2016 using an aircraft called LauncherOne.

LancherOne will cost $10m for companies to launch their satellites into space and Virgin Galactic said four businesses have put down deposits to use the vehicle. These include Planetary Resources, an asteroid mining venture backed by film director James Cameron and Google chairman Eric Schmidt.

[catdlr]

Virgin Galactic Portraits Film

Published on Jul 11, 2012 by virgingalactic
An exclusive insight behind the scenes of some of the key Virgin Galactic Team.

[catdlr]

Virgin Galactic Majestic Flight Show reel

Published on Jul 11, 2012 by virgingalactic
Virgin Galactic's WhiteKnightTwo and LauncherOne take flight - See exclusive footage from the Virgin Galactic Test Flight Program.

[spectre9]

Date of the flight?

They chopped the video when the nose skid touched down which I was not happy about. 

[Alpha Control]

Virgin Galactic Portraits Film

Published on Jul 11, 2012 by virgingalactic
An exclusive insight behind the scenes of some of the key Virgin Galactic Team.

Very nice PR piece for VG.

What stood out for me was seeing Mike Moses! I had forgotten that he had joined Virgin Galactic after leaving NASA. Great to see him involved with this project.

[catdlr]

Your Journey Into Space Starts Here

Published on Jul 17, 2012 by virgingalactic
Introducing Virgin Galactic

[Robotbeat]

I know this is in the discussion pages, but the LauncherOne media material noted that the liquid propulsion system being developed for LauncherOne will eventually find itself being used on some future successor to SpaceShipTwo.

(Very good news, BTW... There are great operational advantages to using liquids, and greater performance options as well).

[yg1968]

Isn't there advantages to using hybrids? For example, the fact that non-toxic materials are being used with the SS2 hybrid motor.

[Space Junkie]

Isn't there advantages to using hybrids? For example, the fact that non-toxic materials are being used with the SS2 hybrid motor.

The 'non-toxic' thing is marketing spin. The combustion products of the LOX-Kerosene engines used by XCOR's Lynx (and many orbital launchers) are arguably even less toxic. AFIK there are no suborbital space tourism companies planning on using toxic fuels in their main engines.

[Silmfeanor]

Isn't there advantages to using hybrids? For example, the fact that non-toxic materials are being used with the SS2 hybrid motor.

Depends on your definition of "toxic" - LoX - kerosene or LOX -Rubber ( or whatever they're burning ) are both " toxic " and not "toxic" at all compared to some hypergolics.

[Robotbeat]

Isn't there advantages to using hybrids? For example, the fact that non-toxic materials are being used with the SS2 hybrid motor.

LOx-Kerosene is no worse than nitrous-rubber.

[jabe]

an interesting tweet

Suborbi_Science ‏@Suborbi_Science
Who wants to bet SS2 flies a powered flight int he next 48 hours? Takers?

be interesting if true..
but doubt it
jb

[Robotbeat]

an interesting tweet

Suborbi_Science ‏@Suborbi_Science
Who wants to bet SS2 flies a powered flight int he next 48 hours? Takers?

be interesting if true..
but doubt it
jb

Bet him that it won't do a powered flight, then.

[Star One]

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.