Virgin Galactic and SpaceShipTwo Master Thread (1)

[Garrett]

Hello,

A quick search of the forum turned up no thread on updates for Virgin Galactic, so I'll take the liberty of starting one. Apologies if this has already been done.

SpaceShipTwo to be unveiled on December 7th:
http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/post.cfm?id=t-minus-18-months-and-counting-virg-2009-10-15 (unveiling date in last paragraph)
http://www.popeater.com/2009/10/28/sir-richard-branson-eve-charity/

Garrett

[Spiff]

The thread is here:

http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=13744.0

[Garrett]

The thread is here:

http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=13744.0

OK, apologies then. Can somebody delete my thread?
Thanks.

[8900]

It takes much longer than expected for Virgin Galactic to take off
but anyway wish them the best luck
Virgin Galactic is among the very few highly credible and serious space tourism companyies, along withcompanies like SpaceX and Bigelow Aerospace

[swampcat]

It takes much longer than expected for Virgin Galactic to take off
but anyway wish them the best luck
Virgin Galactic is among the very few highly credible and serious space tourism companyies, along withcompanies like SpaceX and Bigelow Aerospace

Not meaning to diss those companies, but none of them have yet to actually put anyone into space.

OTOH, Virginia based Space Adventures has brokered orbital flights for seven people.

[mlorrey]

It takes much longer than expected for Virgin Galactic to take off
but anyway wish them the best luck
Virgin Galactic is among the very few highly credible and serious space tourism companyies, along withcompanies like SpaceX and Bigelow Aerospace

Not meaning to diss those companies, but none of them have yet to actually put anyone into space.

OTOH, Virginia based Space Adventures has brokered orbital flights for seven people.

And XCOR has flown the majority of the manned rocket missions of this century (albeit none have gone to space as of yet).
http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=26648

[kevin-rf]

this century

Nice qualifier

[mlorrey]

this century

Nice qualifier

Well they hardly existed in the last century. Thats quite an accomplishment for a new company.

[bad_astra]

this century

Nice qualifier

Well they hardly existed in the last century. Thats quite an accomplishment for a new company.

I am guessing that Messerschmitt would qualify for the previous century.

[Alpha Control]

this century

Nice qualifier

Well they hardly existed in the last century. Thats quite an accomplishment for a new company.

I am guessing that Messerschmitt would qualify for the previous century.

Having spent most of my life in the last century, I had to think about what that sentence meant. So used to automatically associating "this century" with the 20th.

[kevin-rf]

I am guessing that Messerschmitt would qualify for the previous century.

I wonder, you would have to compare the numbers to the number of X program flights from the 50's and 60's. The result would be interesting, and do we count JATO take offs?

[bad_astra]

There were about 300 ME-163s made, then a copy by Japan under license (admittedly it killed its pilot on its only powered flight, but it did get in the air), and finally a few advanced prototypes like the 263. I figure even if each one only flew once, that's still a lot of flight time compared to any one mfg, elsewhere. I hadn't taken JATO into account since those are just assist motors.

[swampcat]

I am guessing that Messerschmitt would qualify for the previous century.

Except for the "space" part. 

[bad_astra]

I am guessing that Messerschmitt would qualify for the previous century.

Except for the "space" part. 

XCOR hasn't reached space, either. This had diverged into a discussion of rocket planes, in general.

Xcor of course will, like the Me-163, take off under its own power, as opposed to VG's aerial drop, a-la Tier 1, and X-15, so maybe the comparisons aren't entirely similar.

[mlorrey]

this century

Nice qualifier

Well they hardly existed in the last century. Thats quite an accomplishment for a new company.

I am guessing that Messerschmitt would qualify for the previous century.

Not sure, who was the manufacturer of the V-2? There were some 10,000 V-2 rockets flown, which did in fact reach space, at an average cost (not counting slave labor) of $14,000 each.

So how many flights did the Me-163 make?

[nacnud]

last I checked`the V2 wasn't manned

[Downix]

last I checked`the V2 wasn't manned

They had a manned version designed, and a Canadian firm developed their own manned version for their XPrize attempt.

[nacnud]

As did the British Interplanetary Society, none ever few manned though.

[jabe]

An article from Wired magazine. Some nice pics of the SS2 in process of being built...
The unveiling should be a good watch.  I wonder how soon the first drop test will be.  Love to see SS2 in free flight.
jb

[kkattula]

Japan had another other manned rocket powered aircraft, the Ohka, but they weren't exactly intended to be reusable. Or land even.