Space Ship Two - General Thread

[jabe]

curious
what do others think are here at 3:57/3:58...more SS2 shells?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=-g6EBnBvg-I#t=238s

jb

[corrodedNut]

curious
what do others think are here at 3:57/3:58...more SS2 shells?

jb

Looks like forms.

[Danderman]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-20500194

Sir Richard Branson wants his tourist spaceship also to become a high-altitude science platform.

The billionaire's rocket plane will carry six fare-paying passengers just above the atmosphere to experience a few minutes of weightlessness.

But the vehicle has been designed so that its seats can be removed easily and the space filled with science gear.

Passenger flights should begin in 18 months or so; research sorties could start soon after.

The US space agency (Nasa) has already chartered the rocket plane.

"It's likely we might do some science flights quite early in the programme," explained Will Pomerantz from Virgin Galactic.

"Nasa is certainly eager to get their flights conducted - the ones they have already purchased.

"It may also give us some additional time to show off the reliability and the operations of the vehicle, which would give our tourism customers even more confidence.

-----------------------------------

Virgin Galactic recently signed a deal with the Houston company Nanoracks to design and build SS2's payload mounting system.

The intention is that is uses the same standards as those already specified for the ISS.

The costs of chartering the entire volume of SS2 for science would be broadly comparable to price charged to a full cabin of tourists, Mr Pomerantz said. Tourists are being asked pay $200,000 (£124,000) per seat.

[vt_hokie]

Passenger flights should begin in 18 months or so; research sorties could start soon after.

Passenger flights are 18 months away and have been for the last few years! 

[mr. mark]

I'll go out on a limb and say powered flight should begin in about 6 months, a conservative estimate. Drop test with engine installed should be around the corner me thinks.....

[Comga]

I'll go out on a limb and say powered flight should begin in about 6 months, a conservative estimate. Drop test with engine installed should be around the corner me thinks.....

Is your limb founded on any substance or just your gut feelings?
Are you saying you have some insight into VG's plans or schedules?
(These are rhetorical questions if the answer is negative.  You don't have to answer.)
This thread is for updates. 

[Danderman]

I guess I could update the thread and say that the Nanoracks hardware for SS2 has been delivered.

 

[Moe Grills]

It seems we can all agree that the SS2 will probably not 'light the candle' this year, so-to-speak. We'll be lucky to see the completed SS2 rolled out of the hanger this year.

Afterall, there are tests that have to be performed on the craft.
Shake tests, hot and cold environmental tests, and leak tests, etc.
They do have a large vacuum chamber, do they not, at Scaled Composites?
  It would be shocking to learn that they do not.

[mr. mark]

It seems we can all agree that the SS2 will probably not 'light the candle' this year, so-to-speak. We'll be lucky to see the completed SS2 rolled out of the hanger this year.

Afterall, there are tests that have to be performed on the craft.
Shake tests, hot and cold environmental tests, and leak tests, etc.
They do have a large vacuum chamber, do they not, at Scaled Composites?
  It would be shocking to learn that they do not.

Captive carry flight just happened. I'm guessing this is with the finished engine assembly as they were installing it last time we received some pictures.
http://www.newspacewatch.com/articles/whiteknighttwo-takes-spaceshiptwo-for-a-captive-carry-flight.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

[Moe Grills]

It seems we can all agree that the SS2 will probably not 'light the candle' this year, so-to-speak. We'll be lucky to see the completed SS2 rolled out of the hanger this year.

Afterall, there are tests that have to be performed on the craft.
Shake tests, hot and cold environmental tests, and leak tests, etc.
They do have a large vacuum chamber, do they not, at Scaled Composites?
  It would be shocking to learn that they do not.

Captive carry flight just happened. I'm guessing this is with the finished engine assembly as they were installing it last time we received some pictures.
http://www.newspacewatch.com/articles/whiteknighttwo-takes-spaceshiptwo-for-a-captive-carry-flight.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Well! I`ll be the first to say that I`m glad  I`m wrong.   
WOOHOO!!!

Maybe SC will celebrate New Years Eve with a brief fire up of the SS2 rocket motor during a glide phase.
Of course I could be wrong.

[mr. mark]

Another drop test reported today that's 2 in about 2 weeks. Once again assuming with engine assembly. Trying to get a positive confirmation of engine installation on these drop tests.

[Owen]

Picture posted on twitter

Hello, beautiful! SS2 w/ rocket motor nozzle showing prepares to land after 1st glide in powered flight configuration

https://twitter.com/virgingalactic/status/281510774898319362/photo/1

[tigerade]

Is that a real engine or a mockup?

[spectre9]

VG bring such scepticism on themselves I guess.

Replica nozzle? Wouldn't put it past them 

[QuantumG]

That's some nice careful envelope expansion. Great work VG.

[yg1968]

Update on recent test flights:
http://www.virgingalactic.com/news/item/spaceshiptwo-completes-first-glide-in-powered-flight-configuration/

[dcporter]

Wow... an SS2 exists, in the air, with actual rockety-bits inside? Update: hope is flickering back to life. 

[spectre9]

Ok that last link says it has rocket motor and tank inside.

"nozzle showing" is a completely different thing as my post above has already pointed out 

[ChrisC]

Ok that last link says it has rocket motor and tank inside.

Here's what the update says:

This was a significant flight as it was the first with rocket motor components installed, including tanks.

Parsing that very conservatively, it could mean SOME components but not ALL components.  So, for example, the nozzle and tanks, but nothing else.

Still, hope is flickering up again.  Maybe we'll get a tiny bit of powered flight this year yet, so they can say they met a commitment they made?  (Sort of like shipping one widget on Dec 31st just so you can say "we started shipping in 2012".  I saw this happen last Dec 31st with the Ford Focus Electric).

[Robotbeat]

Or that one time SpaceX sent a quite unfinished Falcon 9 to the Cape for a photo op during Christmas. Still looked cool, though.