It was an experimental technology demonstrator and was much, much lighter than SS2. Comparing the two is about the same as comparing an X-plane to a commercial airliner. Completely different levels of safety, reliability and re-usability required.
Quote from: Ben the Space Brit on 02/21/2013 05:42 pmIt was an experimental technology demonstrator and was much, much lighter than SS2. Comparing the two is about the same as comparing an X-plane to a commercial airliner. Completely different levels of safety, reliability and re-usability required.It's not like that at all. That's the point. We're still in the "barnstorming" era of suborbital spaceflight. Neither Virgin Galactic, nor any of the other suborbital space tourism companies are going to be carrying "passengers". There's no "certification" process for these vehicles.
Quote from: Garrett on 02/22/2013 10:02 amPlease don't reply with high-chair comments. If I've misunderstood something, point it out clearly and stop babbling about me being ignorant. You do it quite often with others and it's tiring to read. Go read what Joek referenced.
Please don't reply with high-chair comments. If I've misunderstood something, point it out clearly and stop babbling about me being ignorant. You do it quite often with others and it's tiring to read.
They did a night engine firing last week.http://www.virgin.com/richard-branson/blog/this-isnt-sci-fi
Why would Elon Musk go on a suborbital hayride when he could fly to orbit on Dragon. It's like driving a Toyota instead of a Tesla .
Apparently, Elon Musk has a ticket on SS2:https://twitter.com/spacecom/status/317103964606844928https://twitter.com/spacecom/status/317102632248422402http://www.scpr.org/events/2013/03/27/next-space-entrepreneurs/
Quote from: oiorionsbelt on 02/20/2013 08:13 pmQuote from: happyflower on 02/19/2013 06:50 pmWhat a difference between Scaled Composite and VG! The speed of engineering, development, building, testing, and flying between these two companies is very noticeable. Aren't many of the same engineers with scaled working with VG now? What has changed? It took SC less than a year from the first flight of SS1 to their first X prize flight.Is the difference simply a larger company with more legal hurdles? More red tape? More... what?AFAIK Scaled never made a comercial aircraft or spacecraft. For that matter no one has ever made a commercial spacecraft.Don't you consider space ship one a commercial spacecraft? I mean I know it was sub-orbital but thats still space right? Didn't scaled Composites manufacture that ship?
Quote from: happyflower on 02/19/2013 06:50 pmWhat a difference between Scaled Composite and VG! The speed of engineering, development, building, testing, and flying between these two companies is very noticeable. Aren't many of the same engineers with scaled working with VG now? What has changed? It took SC less than a year from the first flight of SS1 to their first X prize flight.Is the difference simply a larger company with more legal hurdles? More red tape? More... what?AFAIK Scaled never made a comercial aircraft or spacecraft. For that matter no one has ever made a commercial spacecraft.
What a difference between Scaled Composite and VG! The speed of engineering, development, building, testing, and flying between these two companies is very noticeable. Aren't many of the same engineers with scaled working with VG now? What has changed? It took SC less than a year from the first flight of SS1 to their first X prize flight.Is the difference simply a larger company with more legal hurdles? More red tape? More... what?
Quote from: happyflower on 02/21/2013 05:36 pmQuote from: oiorionsbelt on 02/20/2013 08:13 pmQuote from: happyflower on 02/19/2013 06:50 pmWhat a difference between Scaled Composite and VG! The speed of engineering, development, building, testing, and flying between these two companies is very noticeable. Aren't many of the same engineers with scaled working with VG now? What has changed? It took SC less than a year from the first flight of SS1 to their first X prize flight.Is the difference simply a larger company with more legal hurdles? More red tape? More... what?AFAIK Scaled never made a comercial aircraft or spacecraft. For that matter no one has ever made a commercial spacecraft.Don't you consider space ship one a commercial spacecraft? I mean I know it was sub-orbital but thats still space right? Didn't scaled Composites manufacture that ship?I had a chance to look in the hatch of SS1 several years ago when it was brought to Oshkosh on the way to the Smithsonian. It was as bare bones as possible inside. It was no where near ready to be a commercial spacecraft. It was experimental.
Apparently, Elon Musk has a ticket on SS2:http://www.scpr.org/events/2013/03/27/next-space-entrepreneurs/
@spacecom (Douglas Messier) - 5:20 PM - 3 Apr 13An hour since takeoff. If memory serves drops are about 90 minutes in. WK2 has dual contrails, Proteus one.https://twitter.com/spacecom/status/319469436157435904
@spacecom (Douglas Messier) - 5:22 PM - 3 Apr 13Vehicles are northward of airport under Joshua approach. Currently out of sight.https://twitter.com/spacecom/status/319470048521621505
@spacecom (Douglas Messier) - 5:26 PM - 3 Apr 13Vehicles now sighted again curving back toward airport now.https://twitter.com/spacecom/status/319470902641299456
