Author Topic: Virgin Galactic and SpaceShipTwo Master Thread (1) (Read 255433 times)

jabe · « **Reply #440 on:** 10/16/2011 03:13 pm »

looks like SS2/WK2 is airborne

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@jeff_foust WK2/SS2 are airborne

yg1968 · « **Reply #441 on:** 10/17/2011 01:30 am »

SS2 and WK2 are going to Spaceport America for the Terminal dedication ceremony tomorrow:
http://www.lcsun-news.com/las_cruces-news/ci_19124401

Alpha Control · « **Reply #442 on:** 10/17/2011 03:25 pm »

Check this out! Mike Moses will join Virgin Galactic as Vice President of Operations at Spaceport America.

http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story.jsp?id=news/asd/2011/10/14/08.xml&headline=Virgin%20Galactic%20Names%20Moses%20To%20Key%20Ops%20Post&channel=space

"In his new post, Moses will develop and lead the team responsible for Virgin Galactic spaceship operations and logistics, flight crew operations, customer training and spaceport ground operations. The former NASA flight director also will oversee operational safety and risk management."

In my opinion, they couldn't ask for a better guy. Bravo!

Edit: Overtaken by events. I looked in Commercial, but I didn't see the other thread!

yg1968 · « **Reply #443 on:** 10/17/2011 06:33 pm »

It seems that VG had problems with SS2 on the Sept. 29th test flight:
http://www.space.com/13297-virgin-galactic-spaceshiptwo-test-flight-glitch.html

simonbp · « **Reply #444 on:** 10/17/2011 07:06 pm »

Also of note, that flight actually had a passenger (in the form of a flight test engineer), making it the first time SS2 has flown with more than two people aboard...

mr. mark · « **Reply #445 on:** 10/18/2011 03:53 pm »

Virgin Galactic has a new clothing line on their website. I'm planning on getting a tshirt.

Jason1701 · « **Reply #446 on:** 10/19/2011 06:22 am »

More money for Virgin!

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/abu-dhabis-aabar-boosts-virgin-galactic-stake-2011-10-19

yg1968 · « **Reply #447 on:** 10/20/2011 01:54 pm »

A recent cool video:

D_Dom · « **Reply #448 on:** 10/20/2011 11:04 pm »

Quote from ~ 2:30 in the interview "if you are inquisitive about life, and inquisitive about the world around us, most of what is around us is space"

Olaf · « **Reply #449 on:** 10/24/2011 05:54 pm »

A new pilot is named for Virgin Galactic.
http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1957/1

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The company also announced the hiring of the first of several pilots who will fly WK2 and SS2: Keith Colmer, a 22-year veteran Air Force pilot who was leaving the military to join Virgin.

Colmer said in an interview that he applied to be a NASA astronaut in the early 2000s and was a finalist for one of the Air Force slots but just missed the cut. He said he was looking forward to flying into space for Virgin. “Obviously it’s a little bit different business” than being a NASA astronaut, he said. “Test flying the vehicles into space is just going to be outstanding. I can’t wait.”

Also the first passengers.
http://www.virgingalactic.com/news/

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Branson and his children, Sam and Holly, who will be the first commercial passengers on SpaceShipTwo

iamlucky13 · « **Reply #450 on:** 10/25/2011 01:12 am »

A National Geographic documentary with the slightly sensational title "Virgin Galactic - Will it Fly?" recently aired. It covers the background of Virgin Galactic and mostly focuses on the SpaceShipTwo development program.

It was up on Youtube all last week, but today was made private, I assume because it was illicitly uploaded. Unfortunately, I had to take a break 3/4 of the way through and never finished it.

If you have NG Channel, keep an eye out for it to re-air. NG programs also occasionally show up on History, Discovery, or PBS.

There was some silly narration comments from time to time (like suggestions that Virgin engineers had no clue whether their craft was even capable of flight), but on the whole it's a production worth watching. Lots of nice video clips and engineer interviews. Run time is about 45 minutes

Just on the off chance it is made public again, this is where I originally found it:

Jason1701 · « **Reply #451 on:** 10/25/2011 02:20 am »

They broadcast that episode months ago. I saw it.

Lewis007 · « **Reply #452 on:** 10/29/2011 08:16 am »

Virgin Galactic has selected former USAF test pilot Keith Colmer as "astronaut pilot."

http://www.virgingalactic.com/news/item/virgin-galactic-selects-first-commercial-astronaut-pilot-from-competition/

Jason1701 · « **Reply #453 on:** 11/12/2011 04:41 pm »

Video about Virgin and commercial in general:
http://www.kcet.org/shows/socal_connected/content/science-and-technology/ticket-to-space.html

As usual with this type of video, using way too many clips of Rocket Racers.

lucspace · « **Reply #454 on:** 11/14/2011 01:59 pm »

Richard Branson declared (in Dutch) in The Hague today that he expect the first paying passengers to fly by Christmas 2012...
http://www.nu.nl/algemeen/2667562/toeristen-met-kerst-2012-ruimte-in.html# (in Dutch)

Moe Grills · « **Reply #455 on:** 11/14/2011 05:17 pm »

Quote from: lucspace on 11/14/2011 01:59 pm

Richard Branson declared (in Dutch) in The Hague today that he expect the first paying passengers to fly by Christmas 2012...
http://www.nu.nl/algemeen/2667562/toeristen-met-kerst-2012-ruimte-in.html# (in Dutch)

It ain't going to happen next year! The FAA has to certify the SS2 before its allowed to carry ANY paying passengers.

On the other hand, if Mr. Branson wants to send up himself & his grandfather as guest passengers, after signing waivers? Well...
December, 2012 won't be out of the question for that type of stunt.

Herb Schaltegger · « **Reply #456 on:** 11/14/2011 08:41 pm »

Quote from: Moe Grills on 11/14/2011 05:17 pm

Quote from: lucspace on 11/14/2011 01:59 pm
Richard Branson declared (in Dutch) in The Hague today that he expect the first paying passengers to fly by Christmas 2012...
http://www.nu.nl/algemeen/2667562/toeristen-met-kerst-2012-ruimte-in.html# (in Dutch)

It ain't going to happen next year! The FAA has to certify the SS2 before its allowed to carry ANY paying passengers.

FAA certification for commercial suborbital ops is not going to be anything like aircraft type certification.

http://www.faa.gov/licenses_certificates/commercial_space_transportation/

Wyvern · « **Reply #457 on:** 11/14/2011 10:04 pm »

Wouldn't it take longer to certify a commercial spaceplane, even one that is suborbital, then to certify a commercial aircraft?

Still it seems like it will only take another year or so for Virgin to start flying commercially.

Garrett · « **Reply #458 on:** 11/15/2011 08:00 am »

Quote from: Moe Grills on 11/14/2011 05:17 pm

It ain't going to happen next year! The FAA has to certify the SS2 before its allowed to carry ANY paying passengers.

Nobody has any idea how long FAA certification will take. Branson is certainly in optimistic publicity mode, but he may yet be right, though historically he's always been way ahead of himself. Back in 2004 he more or less promised commercial flights by 2008. Of course this time we're a lot closer to the end.

Until the following milestones are met, nobody has any idea when commercial flights will start, not even Branson:
1. first powered SS2 flight
2. first flight to maximum altitude, which if all goes well should be above 100 km.

My uneducated armchair guess is that if they can accomplish those milestones by the start of 2012-Q2, then they might be able to fly customers by Christmas 2012.

Danderman · « **Reply #459 on:** 11/15/2011 11:53 am »

Quote from: Wyvern on 11/14/2011 10:04 pm

Wouldn't it take longer to certify a commercial spaceplane, even one that is suborbital, then to certify a commercial aircraft?

Still it seems like it will only take another year or so for Virgin to start flying commercially.

Its difficult to know even if certification as a passenger craft will be required, as there is the option of flying as an experimental aircraft, with passengers signing waivers.