I never thought I would see the day. I spent countless hours in school with a science fiction paperback propped up behind the text book of that particular period reading the likes of Asimov, Heinlein, Pournell, Dick and Roddenberry, wondering if I would ever see the day when man would actually make the move off the planet for reasons other than the purely scientific or military. I imagine if I live another 50 years I will see many fascinating things thanks to forward thinkers in our society starting with guys like Burt Rutan and Richard Branson, Founder of Virgin Galactic (gotta love the name!). LONDON (AP) -- Virgin Galactic, the British company created by entrepreneur Richard Branson to send tourists into space, and New Mexico announced an agreement Tuesday for the state to build a $225 million spaceport. Virgin Galactic also revealed that up to 38,000 people from 126 countries have paid a deposit for a seat on one of its manned commercial flights, including a core group of 100 "founders" who have paid the initial $200,000 cost of a flight upfront. Virgin Galactic is planning to begin flights in late 2008 or early 2009. New Mexico Economic Development Secretary Rick Homans said construction of the spaceport, to be built largely underground in the south of the state near the White Sands Missile Range, could begin in early 2007, depending on approval from environmental and aviation authorities. Virgin will have a 20-year lease on the facility, with annual payments of $1 million for the first five years and rising to cover the cost of the project by the end of the lease. "Experts predict that thousands of jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars of private investment will be created in the next 20 years as the private sector develops new commercial markets in the space industry in New Mexico," Homans said in London. "Virgin is the beginning and many other space companies will follow." Virgin Galactic said it had chosen New Mexico as the site for its headquarters because of its steady climate, free airspace, low population density and high altitude. All those factors can significantly reduce the cost of the space flight program. The spaceport, to be located some 25 miles south of the town of Truth or Consequences, will be constructed 90 percent underground, with just the runway and supporting structures above ground. Stephen Attenborough, the Virgin Galactic executive in charge of marketing the space flights, said the 100 founder members were committed to "stepping up to the plate" and boarding a flight early in the operations. "Many of the others will need to wait until the price comes down and will want to wait for proven reliability and safety," he said. Trevor Beattie, a London-based advertising director who paid for his ticket within days of Branson's announcement of the company's launch, said he was not concerned about safety. "My only concern is that the longer they leave the launch, the more likely we all are to be hit by a bus," said Beattie, who has dreamed of going to space since watching the 1969 moonwalk. Branson formed Virgin Galactic after watching SpaceShipOne, a craft designed by Burt Rutan and funded by Microsoft Corp. co-founder Paul Allen, become the first privately manned rocket to reach space last year. SpaceShipOne went on to win the $10 million Ansari X Prize with two suborbital flights in five days from Mojave, Calif. Virgin Galactic has a deal with Rutan to build five spacecraft, licensing technology from Allen's company, Mojave Aerospace Ventures. Virgin Galactic plans to operate its initial flights from the Mojave base ahead of the projected opening of the New Mexico spaceport in late 2009 or early 2010. Virgin Galactic also unveiled its logo -- the pupil of an eye incorporating an eclipse. Branson's iris will be used for the final design. Branson is due to join New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson in the United States on Wednesday to unveil the spaceport plans.
To emphasize my point further. How amazing is it to a man that was born in 1926, growing up with steam locomotives and chain driven trucks?. Or a sparky kind of guy born in '39 to see a man his same age pilot a private rocket powered vehicle to the edge of space? We are talking a real spaceport here!! What am I going to see 40 years from now? How cool will that be!!
Don't mean to get all philosophical here but you probably only have to look as far as your father to get an idea of just how unbelievable things will be if and when you (I wish you the best - of course) make it to his age. You are fortunate to have him around, as I lost my father when he was just 64, over twenty years ago. He spent 6 years sloging arounf the pacific in WWII in the AAC - and would have been astounded at where the aviation world is today.
The man I mention previously as being born in '26 was a direct reference to my father. I can barely imagine the heights and direction of technologies when I reach his age. BTW, philosophy is cool, it opens new worlds and new ideas.
That is a figure of speech, " Old Man", but to others I am, but to me I'm just long in the tooth. I am writing an account of what I have seen and what I have done so that my kids and their kids will be able to see what transpired in 80 plus years. Our first radio was a crystal set, I was one year old when Lindbergh flew the Atlantic, Polio ( infantile paralysis) was a yearly threat, there were no anti-biotics and simple infections were often fatal, and aviation was a wonderful thrill. The first airplanes that I remember were Curtiss Condors, Stinson Tri-motors, and Boeing Mod 40's. I got rides in Waco 9's and 10's when I was 9 and 10. Water and oil splattering in my face from the OX -5 up front. Got rides in new stuff like Aeronca C-2's and 3's and then Travelaire's and Waco " cabin jobs". Worked as a flag boy for crop dusters and eventually rode around in B-17' and B-24's during the war. Then i flew things that I used to ride in when I was a kid. I saw the advent of jets at Langley Field in 1945 when the first P-80 was there. Later, I worked on the first jet transport in 1954 as a Boeing employee and went on to work on every jet that Boeing built up to and including the 777 on which I was one of the originals on the design team. If I was offered a seat on a space fight, I would be the first to go to keep the progress going and most of all to look back at the earth which must be a beautiful sight. Sorry if I got carried away. It's your fault, DJ.
And your fault as well for sticking my head in the clouds. I think it should be a familiy tradition. Now if I can just get the bugs out of my steam powered airplane................
Here is the Virgin Galactic site. http://www.virgingalactic.com/ Here is the official logo using Branson's own iris. Image Unavailable, Please Login
It's amazing what happens in a lifetime. My great grandmother, who lived to 103, was born into a world just beginning to use electricity (one street in New York had electric lamps) and the telephone, where horses and buggies were the primary mode of transportation. By the time she passed on, the automobile, airplanes, and spacecraft had all been invented, electricity, cars, and the telephone were commonplace, man left the planet and set foot on the moon and split the atom. Not bad for a century.
Well said, Boffin. I left out some of the other things that took place in my time here. Radio, TV, jets, Man-on -the-Moon, computers, robots, cloning, but not peace. We haven't learned that yet but the people that I have met and the children that I have fathered are the best of all.
I am impressed by anyone who can live past 100 and I plan to try that myself. Life is getting mighty interesting with all the new gadgets and discoveries but the most interesting and enjoyable of all is people.
A great goal, and one that all of us who have enjoyed your posts strongly support! You have, in the words of a favorite author of mine, "decided to live forever or die in the attempt."
What a thrill that would be but to orbit the earth in the shuttle would be better, I think. Thanks for those pictures. Switches
