Virgin Galactic and SpaceShipTwo Master Thread (1)

[ClaytonBirchenough]

Nice to see Isakowitz on board...

[FutureSpaceTourist]

According to the Albuquerque Journal the next powered SS2 flight will be later this month. They also quote George Whitesides as saying that the first powered flight triggered an increase in ticket reservations to 610:

http://www.abqjournal.com/main/221258/news/countdown-to.html

[ClaytonBirchenough]

According to the Albuquerque Journal the next powered SS2 flight will be later this month. They also quote George Whitesides as saying that the first powered flight triggered an increase in ticket reservations to 610:

http://www.abqjournal.com/main/221258/news/countdown-to.html

Thanks. Can't wait for another powered flight!

I can't imagine what the first commercial launch to space will do for ticket reservations!

[docmordrid]

@TheSpaceshipCo

Want to build SPACESHIPS? Experienced in engineering design/analysis? The Spaceship Company wants you! thespaceshipcompany.com/careers

[ClaytonBirchenough]

@TheSpaceshipCo

Want to build SPACESHIPS? Experienced in engineering design/analysis? The Spaceship Company wants you! thespaceshipcompany.com/careers

Want to build spaceships!? YES!

Qualified, uh... no.   

[vt_hokie]

@TheSpaceshipCo

Want to build SPACESHIPS? Experienced in engineering design/analysis? The Spaceship Company wants you! thespaceshipcompany.com/careers

Want to build spaceships!? YES!

Qualified, uh... no.   

Haha...I sold out and got my MBA but I still want to build spaceships!  I just wish these aerospace companies wouldn't always be located in the south and west...I want to live somewhere in the Boston - New York - DC region! 

I'm curious as to what's going on behind the scenes, but I guess we'll know in due time.  Anyone know if construction has begun on subsequent carrier and SS2 vehicles, or is that on hold until any post-testing design changes can be implemented?

[Garrett]

Anyone know if construction has begun on subsequent carrier and SS2 vehicles, or is that on hold until any post-testing design changes can be implemented?

From VG's press release, posted by Chris a couple of pages back:

...Virgin Galactic has tapped Shane to oversee its manufacturing company, TSC, which has already begun the construction of the second set of SpaceShipTwo spaceships and WhiteKnightTwo carrier aircraft.

[yg1968]

S2 just landed. Another successful glide flight, hitting all of our goals. Photo: Scaled Composites

https://twitter.com/virgingalactic/status/360417782782885889/photo/1

[vt_hokie]

Back to glide flights after the first powered flight all those weeks ago?  Not a great sign...

[JBF]

Back to glide flights after the first powered flight all those weeks ago?  Not a great sign...

Powered flight costs more money and if you just want to get training on the landings no need for it.

[spectre9]

Could have been making some tweaks due to the data provided by the powered flight.

If they had made changes to improve something at supersonic speeds sounds like it would be a good idea to test those changes in a glide flight.

Landing practice seems unlikely to me.

[Garrett]

Landing practice seems unlikely to me.

Unlikely, but far from impossible. Looking at the flight test summaries, Mike Alsbury has yet to fly in the main pilot seat, so for all we know this could have been his big day.
Also, the commercial pilots (Sturckow and Masucci) have yet to get some flying time on SS2, though they have piloted WK2 on several occasions.

[FutureSpaceTourist]

Also SS1 had the same test flight pattern, as Jeff Foust has pointed out: http://www.newspacejournal.com/2013/07/26/waiting-on-spaceshiptwos-next-powered-flight/

[Vultur]

The glide flight showed up on the test logs, and it does say it was for pilot training...

[Olaf]

Virgin Galactic CEO Counts 625 Customers For Suborbital Trips
http://www.aviationweek.com/Article.aspx?id=/article-xml/awx_08_13_2013_p0-606348.xml

[FutureSpaceTourist]

According to George Nield of the FAA VG has submitted its launch licence application: https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/369176620495405057

[jcm]

The glide flight showed up on the test logs, and it does say it was for pilot training...

What's interesting to me is that the White Knight flight number jumped
from 115 in April to 130 in July - implying 14 White Knight flights
in that period without SS2, which seems a higher flight rate than usual.

[zt]

The glide flight showed up on the test logs, and it does say it was for pilot training...

What's interesting to me is that the White Knight flight number jumped
from 115 in April to 130 in July - implying 14 White Knight flights
in that period without SS2, which seems a higher flight rate than usual.

http://scaled.com/projects/test_logs/37/model_348_whiteknighttwo/P0

Pilot training and checkrides for Mike Masucci and CJ Sturckow, New speedbrake evaluation and more pilot training.

[Chris Bergin]

Time for a new thread:
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?board=6.0