Space Ship Two - General Thread

[spectre9]

I feel it's Virgin Galactic's job to show that it's safe not my job to show it's unsafe.

Less talk, more action.

[dcporter]

I feel it's Virgin Galactic's job to show that it's safe not my job to show it's unsafe.

Less talk, more action.

Having provided your opinion, to which you are welcome, several times on two different threads, your job now is to provide a backing – any at all, doesn't have to be perfect, or defensible, or "real" – just give us any reason at all why you prefer XCOR & BO to VG, or please stop parrotting yourself with nothing new.

[spectre9]

The weight of the tank required to make 100km with the weight of spacecraft being used makes me wonder how strong it really is.

Has it been tested to failure?

Seeing pretty pictures of people putting it into SS2 is nice. I want more technical details before I buy a ticket.

[simonbp]

Do you have those details for Lynx?

And I know the only details you can get for Blue Origin's booster is that it tends to blow up at max Q...

[spectre9]

Lynx uses a pump? 

Regen cooled kerosene is technology I like. It might cost the XCOR guys more but if they can fill and go they can make that money up I'm guessing.

[QuantumG]

Piston pumps, yes.

Like a car engine.

[docmordrid]

Article, complete with a pic and talk of developing a pump for upper stages -

http://moonandback.com/2012/05/24/xcors-tests-of-lynx-cryogenic-piston-pump-a-success/

[Jason1701]

Article, complete with a pic and talk of developing a pump for upper stages -

http://moonandback.com/2012/05/24/xcors-tests-of-lynx-cryogenic-piston-pump-a-success/

From May?

[docmordrid]

Article, complete with a pic and talk of developing a pump for upper stages -

http://moonandback.com/2012/05/24/xcors-tests-of-lynx-cryogenic-piston-pump-a-success/

From May?

I see references far older than that quoted here all the time.  If they're still going to use that pump tech in Lynx and the US work continues does what month this year matter?? 

[Jason1701]

Article, complete with a pic and talk of developing a pump for upper stages -

http://moonandback.com/2012/05/24/xcors-tests-of-lynx-cryogenic-piston-pump-a-success/

From May?

I see references far older than that quoted here all the time.  If they're still going to use that pump tech in Lynx and the US work continues does what month this year matter?? 

Sorry, just wanted to make it clear that the article isn't describing current events.

[Garrett]

Associated Press article (also picked up by other news sources):
BRANSON: VIRGIN SPACE PROJECT KEEPS BEING DELAYED
Poland, Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2012,
http://bigstory.ap.org/article/branson-virgin-space-project-keeps-being-delayed

Excerpts:

British billionaire Richard Branson says his space tourism project keeps being pushed back and isn't sure of an exact date for the first launch.
...
He says it will be at least another 12 or 18 months before the Virgin Galactic venture can offer paid space travel to adventurers.
...
Asked about Virgin Galactic, Branson said he has "stopped counting" days to the launch because it gets delayed "to the next year, to the next year."

[QuantumG]

Associated Press article (also picked up by other news sources):
BRANSON: VIRGIN SPACE PROJECT KEEPS BEING DELAYED
Poland, Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2012,
http://bigstory.ap.org/article/branson-virgin-space-project-keeps-being-delayed

Excerpts:

British billionaire Richard Branson says his space tourism project keeps being pushed back and isn't sure of an exact date for the first launch.
...
He says it will be at least another 12 or 18 months before the Virgin Galactic venture can offer paid space travel to adventurers.
...
Asked about Virgin Galactic, Branson said he has "stopped counting" days to the launch because it gets delayed "to the next year, to the next year."

He doesn't talk like the guy in charge, does he?

Maybe being "a big picture guy" means you can't get straight answers.

[JMS]

Maybe they need to bring Rutan out of retirement.

[spectre9]

Still looks like they will make the Karman line before XCOR but that doesn't mean they will provide the first services.

That's poor from the position they put themselves in and all the huge marketing hype they had over that spaceport construction.

[yg1968]

Update, The Spaceship Company is being renamed under the Virgin Galactic brand:
http://www.virgin.com/richard-branson/blog/behind-the-scenes-of-the-worlds-first-commercial-spaceline
http://www.virgingalactic.com/news/item/sir-richard-branson-visits-virgin-galactic-employees-in-mojave/

[spectre9]

Sorry if this is a strange way to ask this question but I wanted to be clear.

Has Scaled now divorced themself away from Branson to an acceptable level?

[yg1968]

I suspect that it's more the opposite: Branson wants the entire control over The Spaceship Company. He just wants Scaled to be a supplier like it is for Stratolaunch.

[HMXHMX]

I suspect that it's more the opposite: Branson wants the entire control over The Spaceship Company. He just wants Scaled to be a supplier like it is for Stratolaunch.

The culture of the two ventures is – rather obviously – totally different.

Edit: I am talking about Scaled and VG...

[spectre9]

Branson and Allen might have enough money to pay for everything in which case it sounds more like just splitting up the toys.

Then liability for crewed flights hits.

I always assumed that VG would make heaps of cash before that happened. I guess they still can.

Liability will add costs to flights no matter how safe it is. That's regulation and red tape for you.

[spectre9]

Somebody was listening it seems

thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d112:h.r.06586: