FAA grants experimental permit to Virgin Galactic

Associated Press ^ | May 30, 5:34 PM EDT | AP

[jmcenanly]

MOJAVE, Calif. (AP) -- Virgin Galactic says it expects to make rocket-powered test flights of its passenger spaceship later this year.

The company said Wednesday its spaceship builder partner has been granted an experimental permit from the Federal Aviation Administration - a move that will allow it to proceed with powered flights.

[jmcenanly]

On an earlier thread about this subject, someone compared this to a 'glorified Vomit Comet'. People do pay good money for the parabolic flights.

[gzzimlich]

I would tend to agree, and I think “spaceship” is a ridiculous misnomer for these things.

Skipping along the very edges of the earth’s atmosphere, just high enough for a good view and to make re-entry an issue isn’t going into space any more than snorkeling the patch of ocean over the Marianas trench is probing the deep.

Also, flying high enough to make re-entry an issue is not without serious risk. Perhaps Virgin can manage these risks because of simplified design issues (ie. just carrying passengers rather than having to haul cargo) but considering the shuttle disasters I certainly wouldn’t even think about sticking my neck out at any price for what is nothing more than a glorified roller coaster ride.

They can start talking about passenger spaceships when they’re doing round trips to the moon.

[driftdiver]

Some models of the Lear jets go to 49,000 feet. That’d be a lot cheaper and less risky.

[PapaBear3625]

space ping

[KevinDavis]

[Vaquero]

now the guys in their x-15s etc that flew under the wings of B-52 and rocketed up into space for a few minutes,in the 1950s/1960s, all became astronauts at the moment they did....and were so awarded that honor.

these people flying space ship 2, will be in airless space...and similarly also to the original flights of Alan Shepard or Gus Grissom these will be suborbital flights.