Posted on 07/26/2018 2:55:40 PM PDT by BenLurkin
The VSS Unity is a SpaceShipTwo vehicle designed to carry six commercial passengers and two pilots into space, where they will experience 5 minutes of weightlessness before gliding back down to Earth.
"It was a thrill from start to finish," the craft's chief pilot, Dave Mackay, said in a statement about today's flight. "Unity's rocket motor performed magnificently again, and Sooch [co-pilot Mike Masucci] pulled off a smooth landing. This was a new altitude record for both of us in the cockpit, not to mention our mannequin in the back, and the views of Earth from the black sky were magnificent."
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After separating, the VSS Unity fired its engines for 42 seconds, shifted to a nearly vertical angle and accelerated to 2.47 times the speed of sound.
After gliding back down to Earth, the space plane touched down safely at Mojave Air and Space Port in California shortly before 1 p.m. EDT (1700 GMT).
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As with previous flights, today's test flight was designed in part to gather additional data about conditions in the cabin during flight, according to the company's statement. Virgin Galactic founder Sir Richard Branson said the company could launch space tourists aboard the VSS Unity by the end of 2018, and tickets are already on sale for $250,000 apiece
(Excerpt) Read more at space.com ...
they will experience 5 minutes of weightlessness before gliding back down for $250,000 , money to burn ?
Alan Sheperd got six minutes on his first flight uppy-yonder.
SpaceX flies missions to the ISS.
Currently unmanned missions to the ISS...
They will quit after 25 or 30 Die.
Actually preparing techs for flights across the Atlantic and Pacific. Using high paying tourists as a cash flow to support development.
34 miles high.
Sub-orbital flight to Europe?
Sweet!
They’re already overbooked from some reports I’ve seen. (Sorry, traveling, no links handy.)
A lot of people including some Freepers may mock, but this is really an incredible work of technology for a private entity to pull off.
Join the 34 Mile High Club in a spacecraft named “Virgin.” Gotta love the 21st Century!
Alan Shepard was launched in Freedom 7 after his “emergency” was taken care of. Shepard was strapped into the capsule’s seat for 8 hours due to pre-launch delays. He was forced to pee in the suit.
SpaceX flies missions to the ISS.
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Yep. SpaceShipOne flew before SpaceX, but they’ve been screwing up ever since then.
Hoping to eventually get to the Karman Line (62 miles) so that they can claim that they were in space.
A lot of people including some Freepers may mock, but this is really an incredible work of technology for a private entity to pull off.
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This technology first flew 15 years ago. They haven’t advanced much since then.
"You've got to admit it; at this point in time that it's clear, the future looks bright." Song: I.G.Y, Donald Fagan, Album: The Nightfly
Since the film 2001 was released in 1968; I'm still waiting for that PanAm Clipper, and that "Wheel in space".
Sadly, I won't live to see it in my lifetime: Too little vision on the part of NASA and others, too many opportunities wasted and too much money squandered.
That said; thanks Arthur C., and Stanley K. for one heck of a visionary story that ignited and inspired the imagination of a generation.
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