Space tourism closer (Mojave's the place)

Valley Press ^ | Friday, January 25, 2008. | editorial

[BenLurkin]

In 100 years, if kids still have textbooks, they'll be reading about what's going on in Mojave right now. Sir Richard Branson of Virgin Galactic and Mojave's Burt Rutan - a 21st-century version of the Wright brothers - unveiled SpaceShipTwo in New York City this week.

They make a great pair. Rutan, who has already designed the first privately funded space ship, has now designed a craft meant to take the next step - space tourism. And Branson, founder and CEO of the Virgin Group of companies, has a seemingly limitless supply of cash to sponsor equally limitless space projects.

Longer and sleeker than SpaceShipOne, the new craft can carry six passengers and two pilots.

Rutan has endeavored to iron out some of the problems with the first craft. For instance, he has lowered the wing to eliminate the spinning that pilot Mike Melvill encountered while ascending on his Sept. 29, 2004, flight.

The space pioneers also unveiled White Knight II, the carrier craft that will take SpaceShipTwo to its 45,000-foot launching altitude.

The work that was unveiled to worldwide media attention this week was all done at the Mojave Airport/Spaceport, at Rutan's Scaled Composites.

Some four decades after man landed on the moon in a government-funded project, private-sector flights into space are becoming a reality. As soon as 2009 or 2010, private citizens - not just highly trained astronauts - could be soaring above the Earth's atmosphere and looking down on the globe in what was previously the exclusive purview of a handful of professionals.

Readers throughout the Antelope Valley and east Kern County region can take pride that history is being made in our area.

[OCC]

Who would have thunk Boy George record sales would have eventually given Richard Branson the resources to launch the first private space plane?

[org.whodat]

Spaceflight is the use of space technology to fly a spacecraft into and through outer space.

This plane though pretty is not a space plane since it is flying sub-reentry.

On a sub-orbital spaceflight the spacecraft reaches space, but does not achieve orbit. Instead, its trajectory brings it back to the surface of the Earth

[OCC]

True, but they seem to be making progress towards a true space plane faster than any Government funded projects.

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0CEFDD1E3BF937A15752C0A966958260

[BenLurkin]

I worry that that maple seed design won’t work with a larger craft. I fear the wings will separate.

[OCC]

I’m afraid the 2nd or 3rd flight may end in disaster with a load of celebrities on board... bringing the Branson dream to an end.

[RightWhale]

Branson already has $40 million in reservation fees. That is a lot of momentum in spite of the fatal accident.

[OCC]

Any idea how much each "mission" will cost? I realize the cost will go down over time, just curious how much the first 10 or so will cost Virgin Galactic.

Virgin Galactic Spaceship 2

[RightWhale]

Hard to say. They have to cover development costs as well as flight costs. Oh, and insurance if they can get any.

[OCC]

"If it was ready next week, I'd be there," Alan Watts, who has traded in two million Virgin Atlantic frequent flyer miles for a ride on SpaceShipTwo, told SPACE.com. "I'm really looking forward to it."

Passengers will have several minutes of weightlessness during the spaceflight, and then have about 40 seconds to return to their seats, Whitehorn said, adding that the floor of SpaceShipTwo is also designed to be used during landing of spaceflyers fail to reach their spots in time.

http://www.space.com/news/060828_spaceshiptwo_next.html