Jump to content

Virgin Galactic


Xittenn

Recommended Posts

I just saw Richard Branson on TMZ say that Virgin Galactic will be shipping passengers into space in a couple of months. Can anybody corroborate this, their site is not specifying any details? I may simply have just misunderstood the statement. The volume was a little low!

 

I think this is pretty cool, and at $200,000 it may be something I might be able to do within my lifetime. Something worth considering . . . . .

Edited by Xittenn
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I just saw Richard Branson on TMZ say that Virgin Galactic will be shipping passengers into space in a couple of months. Can anybody corroborate this, their site is not specifying any details?

I'm surprised by that. TMZ is usually so good about doing exhaustive research and having citations stacked several levels high. I guess this must just be a rare omission on their part. Either way, have you considered looking at the Virgin website? It was hard to find, but it's there (I had to type "virgin galactic" into google).

 

http://www.virgingalactic.com/

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm surprised by that. TMZ is usually so good about doing exhaustive research and having citations stacked several levels high. I guess this must just be a rare omission on their part.

 

I'm not sure where you were going with this?

 

 

I had looked at the site, as I noted, but couldn't find the expected dates of departure. Google brings up different things, but Richard Branson saying a couple of months on television is pretty exciting and I expect that things are well on their way.

 

I remember when the project started. It was kind of cool to hear that things were happening, present tense. I'm sure most of us here would love to occupy a seat on a future flight!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm not sure where you were going with this?

Welcome to the club. I've been feeling that way since reading your OP. Your latest reply inclines me to suspect you're looking for launch schedules. Is that correct?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Welcome to the club. I've been feeling that way since reading your OP. Your latest reply inclines me to suspect you're looking for launch schedules. Is that correct?

 

Again, I just thought it was exciting and was wondering if I heard right . . . . . a launch schedule would be great, sure! I didn't understand your point about TMZ and research. Richard Branson can say whatever he wants, it's his space ship. :D

 

 

I used to have a list of things that I would do if I ever got into space. Most things on the list would require that the craft be my own or that it be a 'private' flight. An example of something that would be comparably similar from another list of mine would be my dream of being tethered to the back of a plane by a bungee chord, with a companion. My in flight space dreams are much more exotic XD

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Don't know if this is what you heard, but I did find the following:

 

Although Virgin Galactic is generally known as a space tourism company, it sees research experiments as a future mission segment and significant business opportunity. To this end, the company has signed a contract with NASA to provide up to three charter flights on its SpaceShipTwo suborbital spaceplane.

...

Although Virgin Galactic didn't say when the NASA-chartered flight/s were due to launch, they are set to be the first experiments flown via the Flight Opportunities Program to cross the boundary into space.

 

http://www.gizmag.com/nasa-charters-spaceshiptwo/20174/

 

Also...

With selection of Virgin Galactic as a flight provider, NASA will soon be able to offer the research community access to space itself.

 

http://www.virgingalactic.com/news/item/nasa-selects-virgin-galactic-for-suborbital-flights/

 

I believe the Flight Opportunities Program is already conducting flights.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

After reviewing yesterday's episode online, the following was said:

 

 

Q: How much longer until we see some travel into outer-space?

 

Richard Branson: Months not years. A few months before next Christmas anyway.

 

 

So pretty cool, but as moo said the date keeps changing. I can't see this being delayed much longer though. To continue delaying the date would seriously jeopardize any credulity and so on . . . these things take time right?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am not sure I'd put my money on Virgin Galactic doing the 'outer space' missions or the manned ones. If I remember correctly, so far they manage to go up to about 200-300km above the surface, which is rather impressive for a manned flight, but it's not even close to being "outer space". It's about the height where the lower-level satellites are on.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes, as it stands they will only be achieving low orbit. I'm not sure what the proper definition is for outer-space. I would hope that this is far enough from the planets surface so as to see the planet as a whole.

 

I guess it isn't really far enough to be considered low gravity either. It would simply be Zero-G as seen from a free falling object, kind of like the nose diving plane. I will have to spend some time looking into these proper terminologies. Get my space feet wet, in preparation for possible future events :D

 

Honeymoon, in low earth orbit **sigh**

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 years later...

Yeah... I don't think I'll be buying a ticket any time soon. Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo experienced "a serious anomaly", crashed in the desert, and killed one of the pilots with the other surely near death's door.

At least one person is dead and another injured after Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo space tourism craft crashed in the California desert.

The craft was flying a manned test when it experienced what the company described as "a serious anomaly".

It was undergoing its first powered test flight since January over the Mojave Desert, north of Los Angeles.

Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson tweeted he was flying to California "to be with the team".

"Thoughts with all @virgingalactic & Scaled, thanks for all your messages of support," Sir Richard said.

Both pilots were employed by Scaled Composites. One was pronounced dead at the scene while the other was transported to a local hospital in an unknown condition.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.