http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/31/virgin-galactic-spaceshiptwo_n_842923.html#s259756
No thanks - the idea doesn't really do anything for me. What does it offer? A period of time at low/no G? Available elsewhere at negligible price. Travelling in space? Well, maybe/kinda - but you're really just WAY up there in altitude & still just in orbit. Take a Mig 25 ride to the limit & you'll sorta get the same idea for much less $$$. Gonna see something nobody else has ever seen? Not terribly likely. Now book me a seat on his coming submarine adventures during which you might actually discover something & certainly will see things that no human has ever laid eyes on? I'm in!
There is nothing about space travel YET that appeals to me. It looks horribly uncomfortable and dangerous and your view is through a tiny hole. Pass
I would like to go but couldn't afford it for now and unless I was very wealthy would have a hard time justifying the cost. Hopefully they will be able to get the price down and turn it into something that everyone can afford. Maybe in a few years we will be b tching about the fat slobs with their stupid children on the Southwest space shuttle to Tokyo.
I think that must be the real plan for Virgin Galactic-- I would think the market for space tourists wouldn't be all that deep, and there wouldn't be that much repeat business. A 3 hour trip from the west coast to Asia, though? There's certainly a market for that.
There's two things that I would like to do before I have other things to do. One, a cat shot off a carrier and a landing. Two, ride the shuttle into orbit and to experience space. But the latter could be arranged without a rocket or my having much to do with it.
* Virgin Galactic White Knight 2 and Spaceship 2 Rendezvous with Airliner. For the opening of Virgin America's new Terminal 2 in San Francisco, Virgin made a 20 minute flight that met up with White Knight 2 and Spaceship 2, then landed in parallel. http://www.flixxy.com/virgin-white-knight-spaceship-2-airliner-rendezvous.htm * Virgin Galactic White Knight 2 and Spaceship 2 Landing http://www.flixxy.com/virgin-white-knight-spaceship-2-airliner-landing.htm This had to be a non-commercial flight. How could this be legal otherwise?
Bob, with all your contributions to flying and the craft surly there is a member here with strings still in the Navy that could make your dream of getting your cat shot come true. Heck, they give orentation rides to idiot reporters at news stations all the time. Here's hoping your wish comes true Bob.
I read about VG today, and I don't get it. It's not my idea of "space," and screams I'm rich and you're not. I applaud the progress, but seems overhyped for what it really is.
VG's Spaceship 2 will reach about 350,000' in altitude, which qualifiies for both international (100 kms, 328,080') and US (50 miles 264,00') astronaut ratings. 8 X-15 pilots met the US requirement, but only 1 of those made it to 100 kms. Velocity, though, will be only be about mach 3.5. Total energy for the flight will be about 6000 fps including velocity and gravity and drag losses. To reach low earth orbit requires about 30,000 fps delta velocity, so Spaceship 2 is only a fifth of the way towards making orbit. Would still be fun and I would love to do it, but not pay for it. Especially since I have been working on reusable launch vehicles for 20 years.
