SpaceShipTwo Unveiled by Virgin Galactic

Yesterday Virgin Galactic unveiled its SpaceShipTwo suborbital spacecraft along with the mothership/carrier plane WhiteKinghtTwo. Richard Branson the owner of Virgin Galactic and Burt Rutan the owner of Scaled Composites, the company that designed SpaceShipOne, the first privately financed craft to reach space carrying a human, to win the Ansari X Prize, were both present for the unveiling. The press release was held at the American Museum of Natural History in Manhattan.

The WhiteKnight is a two-fuselage, four engine aircraft that will carry SpaceShipTwo, and possible other craft, high into the sky and release them. Once the spacecraft is released it fires up its rocket engine (a combo of nitrous oxide and solid rubber-based fuel) and blasts off into suborbital space, about 62 miles up. The craft them uses its feathered wing to create a great deal of aerodynamic drag and lands like a glider.

Both the WhiteKnightTwo and SpaceShipTwo are more than half completed according to Scaled Composites, and test flights may begin this year, though passenger flights will not begin until at least 2009, though a definite date hasn't been set.

Branson has said that they have received at least 200 firm reservations and over $30 million in deposits. So there is no shortage or funds or willing passengers. Hopefully they will soon have the price down into the range of the average person. But of course only time will tell. Well I will keep you posted on what happens here, it should be rather intertesting. And in a quote from FAA associate administrator Patty Grace Smith, who has been a booster for commercial spaceflight: "This is going to catch hold like a wildfire we have never seen." And boy I hope so.

The Fool

Privately-Built Moon Lander Prototype Lifts Off

SpaceDev based in Poway, California launched their lunar lander prototype approximately 35 feet (10.7 meters) into the air on a tether, where it hovered before descending for a careful landing. SpaceDev's test is the first actual test for a hybrid rocket powered lander vehicle. They are working with the International Lunar Observatory Association (ILOA) to land a spacecraft on the south pole of the Moon for astrophysics and communication research. The lander prototype has four hybrid rocket motors that contain both solid and liquid fuel — a combination of non-explosive materials that supposedly reduces the chance for accidents. The liquid fuel also permits throttling by controlling fuel flow and acceleration. SpaceDev has previously worked with Scaled Composites, the Mojave, California based company that built SpaceShipOne, the ship that won the $10 million Ansari X Prize. This project could have some very interesting results hopefully it will be succesful and pulled off as soon as possible. Only time will tell.

The Fool

Spaceport America Pictures

Here is a quick slideshow of some pretty near pictures from Spaceport America in New Mexico near the White Sands Missile Range. To me the place looks very interesting and I hope to go there once it is built. But for now we can look at their concept drawing and watch the news about the place. Here is the link: http://www.popsci.com/popsci/aviationspace/a28a47fb317d4110vgnvcm1000004eecbccdrcrd.html

The Fool