Author Topic: Virgin Galactic and SpaceShipTwo Master Thread (1) (Read 255430 times)

kkattula · « **Reply #240 on:** 10/25/2010 02:20 am »

Quote from: docmordrid on 10/25/2010 02:08 am

What are the odds of them building a very light, mostly composite (incl. the pressure hull) spaceplane for launch on an F9 class launcher? IIRC Blue Origin's going with a composite pressure hull, so....

Isn't that just Dream Chaser? ( Although Atlas V is baselined as the LV. )

VG are already associated with Sierra Nevada through SS2 and Scaled.
So funding DC makes a kind of sense if NASA are going to pick up half the tab.

docmordrid · « **Reply #241 on:** 10/25/2010 02:29 am »

Sure sounds like it, but what about door #2?

majormajor42 · « **Reply #242 on:** 10/25/2010 02:51 am »

I wonder if Burt has any interest in the Scramjet business?

docmordrid · « **Reply #243 on:** 10/25/2010 03:02 am »

SABRE? Last I heard they're still in the runup to testing their pre-cooler, and if that doesn't meet expectations that could extend their timeline a lot. Risky ATM.

mrmandias · « **Reply #244 on:** 10/26/2010 08:56 pm »

Virgin Galactic has decided that orbital is in their future and is looking into a partnership with a current orbital provider:

http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story_channel.jsp?channel=space&id=news/asd/2010/10/26/02.xml&headline=Virgin%20Galactic%20Eyes%20NASA%20Commercial%20Crew%20Program

vt_hokie · « **Reply #245 on:** 10/26/2010 09:26 pm »

I hope it's DreamChaser, as it's the only sexy spaceplane under development!

neilh · « **Reply #246 on:** 10/27/2010 01:24 am »

(from the Spaceport America thread)

Quote from: zaitcev on 10/26/2010 02:48 am

Quote from: docmordrid on 10/23/2010 06:02 pm
Sierra just announced that they've done a flight profile test of Dream Chaser's engine, including vacuum fire, and that that construction is underway @Sierra, so what would remain for Scaled/Virgin to do? Provide decals?
Provide fat sacks of money, you mean, right? Always remember that money is the most important propellant in space.
-- Pete

Money, and also a potential additional market. If I recall correctly, the potential for a provider having customers other than NASA is one of the criteria which goes into selecting CCDev developers.

Currently Space Adventures is working with Boeing (and of course Roskosmos), interfacing with potential "tourist" customers. I wonder if Virgin's planning on going head-to-head with Space Adventures in the orbital tourism market. I don't believe Space Adventures currently has any sort of deal with SpaceX, Orbital, or Sierra Nevada.

mr. mark · « **Reply #247 on:** 10/27/2010 01:32 am »

I really hope that they team with Spacex as Spacex is the only private new space company that has plans beyond LEO. Neither Boeing or Sierra Nevada have any plans as such. Dreamchaser is limited being a winged vehicle that cannot reenter at interplanetary speeds.

pathfinder_01 · « **Reply #248 on:** 10/27/2010 01:46 am »

Quote from: mr. mark on 10/27/2010 01:32 am

I really hope that they team with Spacex as Spacex is the only private new space company that has plans beyond LEO. Neither Boeing or Sierra Nevada have any plans as such. Dreamchaser is limited being a winged vehicle that cannot reenter at interplanetary speeds.

I am the opposite. I am hoping for Dream chaser. BEO commercial flight is going to take some time. Space X is a very go it alone type company. I wonder could dream chaser land at Space Port America? I know they wanted to use dream chaser for sub orbital flights. It could be a way to get rid of potential competition while offering more service.

neilh · « **Reply #249 on:** 10/27/2010 01:50 am »

Quote from: mr. mark on 10/27/2010 01:32 am

I really hope that they team with Spacex as Spacex is the only private new space company that has plans beyond LEO. Neither Boeing or Sierra Nevada have any plans as such. Dreamchaser is limited being a winged vehicle that cannot reenter at interplanetary speeds.

Not necessarily: http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=9921.msg538456#msg538456

Ronsmytheiii · « **Reply #250 on:** 10/27/2010 02:24 am »

Quote from: neilh on 10/27/2010 01:24 am

Currently Space Adventures is working with Boeing (and of course Roskosmos), interfacing with potential "tourist" customers. I wonder if Virgin's planning on going head-to-head with Space Adventures in the orbital tourism market

Very good possibility, as Space Adventures is participating in direct competitors with Virgin Galactic's Spaceship two. Of course if they do team with SpaceX, the synergy from SpacX's experience and Branson's access to capital bode well for both.

simonbp · « **Reply #251 on:** 10/27/2010 05:03 am »

Well, yeah, Boeing and SpaceX are the most plausible CCDev companies. If Space Adventures is going with Boeing, SpaceX might make sense. On the other hand, Boeing has far less pretensions to offering their own payload/passenger services, so they would probably welcome two customers for their product. Two anchor customers at launch is better than some of their airliners have done...

FutureSpaceTourist · « **Reply #252 on:** 10/27/2010 12:24 pm »

What's not clear to me is why VG want to spend time on orbital at this point? (ie a couple of years before suborbital ops are likely to start)

Are they worried about getting left behind if someone else makes a success of orbital? But wouldn't they be better waiting to see who produces a successful vehicle and then becoming a customer? Will Whitehorn has said enough times that VG don't really want to be developing a craft as well as operating it, but they had no choice to kickstart suborbital development.

ChefPat · « **Reply #253 on:** 10/27/2010 12:51 pm »

I wonder if Branson is interested in Skylon? LEO won't truly be accessible for commercial purposes until there is a 100% reusable LEO craft & Skylon is the only one on the drawing boards that meets that criteria.

mrmandias · « **Reply #254 on:** 10/27/2010 04:41 pm »

Quote from: mr. mark on 10/27/2010 01:32 am

I really hope that they team with Spacex as Spacex is the only private new space company that has plans beyond LEO. Neither Boeing or Sierra Nevada have any plans as such. Dreamchaser is limited being a winged vehicle that cannot reenter at interplanetary speeds.

I hope they team with whoever makes the most sense for their business case. Let's not get ahead of ourselves.

Lampyridae · « **Reply #255 on:** 10/28/2010 11:23 am »

Quote from: ChefPat on 10/27/2010 12:51 pm

I wonder if Branson is interested in Skylon? LEO won't truly be accessible for commercial purposes until there is a 100% reusable LEO craft & Skylon is the only one on the drawing boards that meets that criteria.

Although I have faith in the design and the team, that's still at least a decade away from first flight, if not more. Once the engine is proved, there is still the nontrivial problem of developing the rest of the spacecraft, a much more complex one than Falcon 1. Once the LEO market is established and competition rises, Skylon may have the edge.

James Pioneer · « **Reply #256 on:** 10/28/2010 12:26 pm »

Quote from: neilh on 10/23/2010 08:20 pm

Have Elon Musk and Richard Branson ever been in the same room with each other?

They were both on Necker Island - Branson's island retreat in the Caribbean - in early 2008.

Apparently at a meetup organised by Richard to discuss what to do about global warming, and how to get richer in the process.

Elon did a presentation about Tesla Motors.

New York Times article: Branson and friends seek to save a world on fire

jabe · « **Reply #257 on:** 10/28/2010 02:40 pm »

looks like another test flight is in works from
@mojavewatcher

jb

Space Pete · « **Reply #258 on:** 10/28/2010 05:24 pm »

Quote from: The Official Virgin Galactic Twitter Account

Excited to hear that VSS Enterprise has just landed after a second successful glide flight in Mojave today.

Namechange User · « **Reply #259 on:** 10/28/2010 05:28 pm »

Quote from: Space Pete on 10/28/2010 05:24 pm

Quote from: The Official Virgin Galactic Twitter Account
Excited to hear that VSS Enterprise has just landed after a second successful glide flight in Mojave today.

Nice!