Virgin Galactic and SpaceShipTwo Master Thread (1)

[Spiff]

So you did. I must be blind. Sorry guys!

[DirtyDeeds]

He joins Virgin Galactic at a momentous moment in the development of the company.

I'll be using that one in the future! 

[wjbarnett]

Claim of manned taxi testing on June 14 at: http://www.rocketeers.co.uk/node/985?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

[Garrett]

Claim of manned taxi testing on June 14 at: http://www.rocketeers.co.uk/node/985?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Thanks for the update! It's more than a claim:
http://www.scaled.com/projects/spaceshiptwo_ground_tests

est:   SS2 Taxi 01
Date:    14 Jun 10   Time:    3 hr on runway
Crew (runs 01-04):   Siebold / Nichols
Crew (runs 05):   Stucky / Nichols

Results:
Monday was a great milestone for the team. We performed five tests from 25 to 60 mph with two different pilots. All objectives were achieved. They were: condition the brakes and evaluate the landing gear/brake steering/skid shoe performance and general ground handling. The vehicle performed as expected and we're excited to move into the manned phase of the test program.

What I found interesting in your link was a recent twitter update by somebody who calls themselves Suborbi_Science, which says that a drop test of SS2 may happen within the month!

[kch]

He joins Virgin Galactic at a momentous moment in the development of the company.

I'll be using that one in the future! 

Some folks do have a way with words, don't they? 

[Spiff]

He joins Virgin Galactic at a momentous moment in the development of the company.

I'll be using that one in the future! 

Some folks do have a way with words, don't they? 

Hey, that wasn't me! Just quoting the press release!

[mlorrey]

He joins Virgin Galactic at a momentous moment in the development of the company.

I'll be using that one in the future! 

Some folks do have a way with words, don't they? 

Hey, that wasn't me! Just quoting the press release!

They must have hired Sen Kay Bailey Hutchinsons PR hack to write that one.

[Celebrimbor]

National Geographic Preview here:

http://www.virgingalactic.com/multimedia/album/national-geographic-promotional-video/

[jabe]

i wonder if it will be showed on NG Canada

[Hootz]

A little blurb out on CNN

http://www.cnn.com/2010/TRAVEL/10/15/space.tourism/index.html?hpt=C1

[yg1968]

Interview with Branson:
http://amfix.blogs.cnn.com/2010/10/22/space-tourism-set-for-takeoff/

[mjcrsmith]

Found this today.  Another drop test today 10/22?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20101022/ts_alt_afp/usaviationspacebritainvirgin_20101022091717

"On Friday, the aircraft -- re-Christened the VSS Enterprise -- will stage a flypass high above the new two-mile (3.2-kilometer) long, 200-foot (60-meter) wide runway in tandem with its mothership, known as WhiteKightTwo or Eve."

Correction, it is just a fly over as described on this thread.

http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=21895.msg643531#msg643531

[yg1968]

Branson just announced that Virgin Galactic intends to have a commercial crew proposal for CCDev 2! That's what he just announced at the Spaceport press conference of today! They will announce more on this in the next 2 or 3 months.   

[jabe]

WK2/SS2 just landed for more pics..very cool..wish i was there...
jb
edit:hope they don;t get technical issues with the craft..I'm sure there aren't many tools for fixing WK2 around...

[neilh]

Branson just announced that Virgin Galactic intends to have a commercial crew proposal for CCDev 2! That's what he just announced at the Spaceport press conference of today! They will announce more on this in the next 2 or 3 months.   

Where did you see this?

[yg1968]

Here:
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=21895.msg650823#msg650823

It was live on a CNN web video feed. His words were something to the effect that Virgin Galactic intends to bid on commercial crew for NASA which is in the process of solliciting proposals (i.e. CCDV 2).   

[neilh]

Here:
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=21895.msg650823#msg650823

It was live on a CNN web video feed. His words were something to the effect that Virgin Galactic intends to bid on commercial crew for NASA which is in the process of solliciting proposals (i.e. CCDV 2).   

I actually wonder if it'd make sense for them to partner with Dreamchaser on CCDev.

[neilh]

Here:
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=21895.msg650823#msg650823

It was live on a CNN web video feed. His words were something to the effect that Virgin Galactic intends to bid on commercial crew for NASA which is in the process of solliciting proposals (i.e. CCDV 2).   

Also, did it sound like this could have been potentially referring to CRuSR instead?

[yg1968]

Here:
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=21895.msg650823#msg650823

It was live on a CNN web video feed. His words were something to the effect that Virgin Galactic intends to bid on commercial crew for NASA which is in the process of solliciting proposals (i.e. CCDV 2).   

Also, did it sound like this could have been potentially referring to CRuSR instead?

No. He was clearly talking about his orbital plans. Although, he didn't mention CCDev by name, he said that their orbital plans had been accelerated because of NASA's plans for commercial crew. He also said that they were going to make a bid for orbital crew transportation for NASA. I am 100% certain that he was talking about CCDev 2.

Garver mentionned CRuSR at the end of the press conference questions. But that's the only time that it was mentionned. 

[yg1968]

Here:
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=21895.msg650823#msg650823

It was live on a CNN web video feed. His words were something to the effect that Virgin Galactic intends to bid on commercial crew for NASA which is in the process of solliciting proposals (i.e. CCDV 2).   

I actually wonder if it'd make sense for them to partner with Dreamchaser on CCDev.

I was also wondering about that. Mark Sierangelo of Sierra Nevada was there (but he didn't talk). I wonder if he knew about Virgin Galactic's orbital plan. I am guessing that he did. I imagine that Virgin would need their help for the hybrid motor. It would make sense for them to team up. It would give them a better business case. But it's also possible that Sierra Nevada will have more than one proposal in which they are involved (as was the case for Bigelow and also for Boeing).