Author Topic: Space Ship Two - General Thread (Read 748619 times)

mr. mark · « **Reply #840 on:** 04/13/2013 03:02 am »

Just got home to see the cold flow picture. NICE! I feel a Virgin Galactic party thread coming on........

Robotbeat · « **Reply #841 on:** 04/13/2013 03:08 am »

Quote from: mr. mark on 04/13/2013 03:02 am

Just got home to see the cold flow picture. NICE! I feel a Virgin Galactic party thread coming on........

Before you know it, Karman line!

The suborbital space race is finally coming to a head. We could have regular flights of customers in a year! Finally, you can mortgage your house and go to space! We're in the future...

Danderman · « **Reply #842 on:** 04/13/2013 03:24 am »

Quote from: Robotbeat on 04/13/2013 03:08 am

Quote from: mr. mark on 04/13/2013 03:02 am
Just got home to see the cold flow picture. NICE! I feel a Virgin Galactic party thread coming on........
Before you know it, Karman line!

The suborbital space race is finally coming to a head. We could have regular flights of customers in a year! Finally, you can mortgage your house and go to space! We're in the future...

Don't jinx it.

yg1968 · « **Reply #843 on:** 04/13/2013 03:28 am »

Here is an image from the test flight:

mr. mark · « **Reply #844 on:** 04/13/2013 03:38 am »

Things are really heating up. We have Orbital's Antares launch Wednesday and now a possible first firing of Spaceship 2 towards the end of the month. Looks like a great month. Virgin Galactic, SpaceX and Orbital are proving the critics were wrong. Now off to drink some more Kool Aid...LOL

zaitcev · « **Reply #845 on:** 04/13/2013 04:45 am »

Quote from: FutureSpaceTourist on 04/13/2013 12:18 am

Having looked more closely the carry photo from today's test is interesting. First time I remember seeing the nozzle from the rear. Is the bit in the centre purely for today's flow test?

Russians used solids with central bodies. Their purpose was to be adjusted according to launch conditions such as temperature. But I cannot imagine SNC building a hybrid with such a feature in 2013. It must be some kind of a test fixture.

douglas100 · « **Reply #846 on:** 04/13/2013 08:49 am »

It's been a long road for Virgin Galactic. It shows the difference between developing an experimental vehicle like SS-1 and a fully licensed passenger carrying vehicle. Good luck to them on the first powered flight.

QuantumG · « **Reply #847 on:** 04/13/2013 08:52 am »

Quote from: douglas100 on 04/13/2013 08:49 am

It's been a long road for Virgin Galactic. It shows the difference between developing an experimental vehicle like SS-1 and a fully licensed passenger carrying vehicle. Good luck to them on the first powered flight.

There's no licensing required.

They're not passengers.

Garrett · « **Reply #848 on:** 04/13/2013 01:24 pm »

Quote from: yg1968 on 04/12/2013 09:36 pm

SpaceShipTwo Advances Towards Powered Flight with Spectacular “Cold-Flow” Test:
http://www.virgingalactic.com/news/item/spaceshiptwo-advances-towards-powered-flight-with-spectacular-cold-flow-test/

Wow. Super test and amazing photo.

Makes the rumored April 22nd powered flight look possible.

Moe Grills · « **Reply #849 on:** 04/13/2013 11:20 pm »

Quote from: QuantumG on 04/13/2013 08:52 am

Quote from: douglas100 on 04/13/2013 08:49 am
It's been a long road for Virgin Galactic. It shows the difference between developing an experimental vehicle like SS-1 and a fully licensed passenger carrying vehicle. Good luck to them on the first powered flight.

There's no licensing required.

They're not passengers.

You're right...they're not passengers. But another year or two, there
should be. Then the government will stick it's nose into Virgin Galactic's business, if it hasn't already.

Moe Grills · « **Reply #850 on:** 04/13/2013 11:25 pm »

Quote from: Garrett on 04/13/2013 01:24 pm

Quote from: yg1968 on 04/12/2013 09:36 pm
SpaceShipTwo Advances Towards Powered Flight with Spectacular “Cold-Flow” Test:
http://www.virgingalactic.com/news/item/spaceshiptwo-advances-towards-powered-flight-with-spectacular-cold-flow-test/
Wow. Super test and amazing photo.

Makes the rumored April 22nd powered flight look possible.

I stated in an earlier post, the gist being, that Scaled Composites will be patiently super cautious. I indicated that there would be a sort of "dress rehearsal" in which [sic] the pilots would flip all the necessary switches
except one (ignition switch) on the last glide test flight before PTF.
ITYS.

Skyrocket · « **Reply #851 on:** 04/13/2013 11:29 pm »

For the last four flights, Mark Stucky was always the pilot. In the time before the flights were alternating piloted by Siebold and Stucky. Has Siebold left the SS2 program?

joek · « **Reply #852 on:** 04/13/2013 11:48 pm »

Quote from: QuantumG on 04/13/2013 08:52 am

Quote from: douglas100 on 04/13/2013 08:49 am
It's been a long road for Virgin Galactic. It shows the difference between developing an experimental vehicle like SS-1 and a fully licensed passenger carrying vehicle. Good luck to them on the first powered flight.
There's no licensing required.
They're not passengers.

A launch license issued by the FAA is still required. I think there may be some confusion between "certification", "license" and "permit". The FAA does not (yet) do "certification" for spacecraft, but does and requires "license" and "permit" launches.

QuantumG · « **Reply #853 on:** 04/14/2013 12:10 am »

Quote from: joek on 04/13/2013 11:48 pm

A launch license issued by the FAA is still required. I think there may be some confusion between "certification", "license" and "permit". The FAA does not (yet) do "certification" for spacecraft, but does and requires "license" and "permit" launches.

While I'm sure there is, that's not what people are talking about when they say a "licensed passenger vehicle". They mistakenly think suborbital vehicles are regulated like aircraft or temporarily just forgot that they're not.

Quote from: Moe Grills on 04/13/2013 11:20 pm

the government will stick it's nose into Virgin Galactic's business, if it hasn't already.

Yep, the regulations will become just as unworkable as aircraft eventually - keeping the current players fed while providing a nice big barrier to new entrants - but for the moment, they're letting the industry develop it and we should recognize there's a difference.

Nomadd · « **Reply #854 on:** 04/14/2013 08:34 pm »

Quote from: douglas100 on 04/13/2013 08:49 am

It's been a long road for Virgin Galactic. It shows the difference between developing an experimental vehicle like SS-1 and a fully licensed passenger carrying vehicle. Good luck to them on the first powered flight.

It shows the difference of not having Rutan at the helm too.

FutureSpaceTourist · « **Reply #855 on:** 04/14/2013 08:53 pm »

Quote from: Nomadd on 04/14/2013 08:34 pm

It shows the difference of not having Rutan at the helm too.

Not sure that's true. It wasn't Burt who spotted that the original scaled-up WK/SS1 design wasn't the way to go, requiring a complete re-design. Burt was also at the helm when the tragic 2007 accident occurred that put the programme back at least a further year.

kkattula · « **Reply #856 on:** 04/14/2013 10:09 pm »

Once again, they will require an FAA/AST launch licence. Their customers will legally be 'space-flight participants' not passengers.

This will be like doing a hot lap with a pro driver in a NASCAR, not like boarding a bus. Informed consent, assumed risk, etc.

Eric Hedman · « **Reply #857 on:** 04/15/2013 03:17 am »

The following is Alan Boyle's article on the coming powered flight that may happen on April 22.

http://cosmiclog.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/04/14/17737846-spaceshiptwo-creates-a-cool-contrail-first-blastoff-coming-soon?lite

FutureSpaceTourist · « **Reply #858 on:** 04/17/2013 07:58 am »

Rod Coppinger notes that an FAA flight permit granted to VG expires in a few weeks: http://www.newspacewatch.com/articles/an-examination-of-spaceshiptwo-development-issues.html

He goes on to raise issues about the status of SS2 etc and VG's reluctance to discuss questions he raised. I think he may be reading a little too much into things at this point, but we'll know soon enough.

Galactic Penguin SST · « **Reply #859 on:** 04/17/2013 08:08 pm »

Someone accused SpaceX maybe trying to steal OSC's thunder. Looks like it may be Virgin Galactic instead: http://www.newspacewatch.com/articles/some-virgin-galactic-action-in-mojave-today.htm

Quote

Some Virgin Galactic action in Mojave today
by Clark Lindsey, Managing Editor

I hear that some big event is happening at the WhiteKnightTwo/SpaceShipTwo facility in Mojave today. Lots of commotion with lights and loading equipment and several fancy private jets and official Air Force planes sitting nearby. And all the fire and rescue vehicles are parked in front.