Author Topic: Would you ride on SS2 if money was not an issue? (Read 8819 times)

TheMadCap · « **Reply #20 on:** 09/30/2006 05:32 pm »

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elmarko - 30/9/2006 7:13 AM

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oscar71 - 28/9/2006 11:34 PM

Rutan's flying machines don't have a great safety record and the shuttle has those solid rockets. I'd ride Soyuz though.

They don't? I thought they had an excellent record...

There were apparently several near-critical failures with SS1 on it's maiden and Anasari flight. I believe one failure involved the thing spiraling up into the stratosphere with no way to regain control?

Jackson · « **Reply #21 on:** 10/01/2006 02:31 am »

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TheMadCap - 30/9/2006 12:15 PM

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elmarko - 30/9/2006 7:13 AM

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oscar71 - 28/9/2006 11:34 PM

Rutan's flying machines don't have a great safety record and the shuttle has those solid rockets. I'd ride Soyuz though.

They don't? I thought they had an excellent record...

There were apparently several near-critical failures with SS1 on it's maiden and Anasari flight. I believe one failure involved the thing spiraling up into the stratosphere with no way to regain control?

Yeah, near loss of vehicle on the first flight. Spun out of control for a long time.

astrobrian · « **Reply #22 on:** 10/01/2006 03:14 pm »

It was not a near loss of vehicle as they were up high enough it was kinda like with the ET losing foam upwards in the flight. The air that high is less dense and therefore not as damaing on the structure. It is the same reason it was "out of control". Not enough air up there to really be able to counter the roll quite as they would like to have. Scaled determined, before the second flight, that what had caused the uncontrolability was that SS1 had gone past vertical during the ascent, which aparently was a no no in the design. The only near loss of vehicle actually came on the first suborbital flight when the feather jammed in a position that would have caused SS1 to spiral down

vt_hokie · « **Reply #23 on:** 10/01/2006 04:58 pm »

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astrobrian - 1/10/2006 10:57 AM

The only near loss of vehicle actually came on the first suborbital flight when the feather jammed in a position that would have caused SS1 to spiral down

I thought it was an elevator trim tab or maybe the entire elevator, not the feather mechanism. I could check...I've got the Discovery Channel's "Black Sky" DVD's (very well done, btw). But in any case, yeah, they've had some scary moments! Will there be any in-flight egress capability on SS2? Based on the design, I'm guessing not.

bad_astra · « **Reply #24 on:** 10/02/2006 01:55 am »

If money was no object, sure I'd fly on SS2. If I had the option which of the suborbital starups I'd buy a ticket on, I suspect it would be Blue Origin. VTVL would be a blast.

astrobrian · « **Reply #25 on:** 10/02/2006 02:08 am »

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vt_hokie - 1/10/2006 11:41 AM I thought it was an elevator trim tab or maybe the entire elevator, not the feather mechanism. I could check...I've got the Discovery Channel's "Black Sky" DVD's (very well done, btw).

Pretty sure you are right, the specific part that jammed was the trim tab. I realize now just saying feather was rather vague/wrong. I ordered those DVDs myself and agree on thier quality.