Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo

[Latcarf]

There are a lot of great things happening in SCIENCE today. On top of the list, SpaceShipTwo.

'“The first powered flight of Virgin Spaceship Enterprise was without any doubt, our single most important flight test to date,†said Virgin Galactic Founder Sir Richard Branson, who was on the ground in Mojave to witness the occasion. “For the first time, we were able to prove the key components of the system, fully integrated and in flight. Today’s supersonic success opens the way for a rapid expansion of the spaceship’s powered flight envelope, with a very realistic goal of full space flight by the year’s end. We saw history in the making today and I couldn’t be more proud of everyone involved.â€Â'

Official Press Release:

http://www.virgingalactic.com/news/item/virgin-galactic-breaks-speed-of-sound-in-first-rocket-powered-flight-of-spaceshiptwo/

Amazing Photograph Taken From SS2:

http://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/technology/20130429_spaceshiptwo_powered_flight_boom-camera.jpg

Lower on the list, a pebble tore through the solar panels on the international space station.

http://www.universetoday.com/101837/warning-shot-a-bullet-hole-on-the-iss/

EDIT: I think there was already a post for this but somehow i missed it when i scanned through. Sorry @Exclipse

Edited April 29, 2013 by Latcarf

[Dr. Muttonstache]

That's pretty badass, quick, someone make an addon!

[Latcarf]

I tried making a system to house a secondary SSTO a few times but never got it to work. I'm sure someone has made one. *to the space port*

[Eric S]

The biggest problem I see with simulating this in KSP is that you can't control both parts at the same time combined with the fact that you can't switch vessels while within the atmosphere. So if you separate and have control of the launcher instead of the actual shuttle, you're not going to space today. I think that's what will happen, as it's been my general impression that when you undock a multi-part vessel, KSP leaves you in control of the more massive part (though I could be wrong, it may go by actively controlled command pod, as I don't remember what made me think it didn't work that way).

EDIT: That said, even if this isn't direct competion with SpaceX, I'm glad to see more commercial space ventures, as even indirect competition is good.

[Rune]

Wow, powered flight at last, good for them! Though suborbital is not truly space in my book, I wish them the best.

Also, KSP lets you in control of the part that houses the root command pod (the one you start building from), and renames the other as "X ship" (X being the original name). Or "X probe", or "X rover", depending of what the control part on the non-root part is.

Rune. The more, the merrier.

[Latcarf]

New official video! And its awesome! Everything about this is awesome! Except for how expensive a ride is!

VIA:

http://www.virgin.com/richard-branson/were-feeling-supersonic

[Canopus]

I don't understand why everybody thinks this is so awesome. It gets humanity nowhere. Its just an expensive roller coaster for super rich people

[Latcarf]

I don't understand why the iPad was ever invented. It gets humanity nowhere. Its just a toy for rich people.

The roller coaster aspect is true. However it is most definitely giving humanity something other than a fancy ride.

When was the attitude ever "Whats the point? Lets just give up." when it came to space exploration. If anybody on the Mars Science Laboratory had said that, they would have been fired and the mission would have continued and would have succeeded without them.

Edited April 30, 2013 by Latcarf

[Canopus]

No you don't understand what i was trying to say. Just look at all the youtube comments most of them think that this is actually the future and that this thing would accomplish some fundamental things. But if you think about it its really just a toy.

Edit: This isn't really Space Exploration

Edited April 30, 2013 by Canopus

[Kryten]

When was the attitude ever "Whats the point? Lets just give up." when it came to space exploration.

How exactly do you see this as having anything to do with space exploration? It's not even advancing the technology, it's a now-standard composite airframe with a low-ISP hybrid motor attached to it.

[Latcarf]

I think you've missed the fundamental point of this project.

"The Virgin Galactic spaceline plans to operate a fleet of five SpaceShipTwo spaceplanes in a private passenger-carrying service, starting in 2014."

What starts out as a roller coaster ride eventually may turn into transport for an orbital resort, who knows-- maybe even transport to and from the ISS. 2014 is not very far away, and neither is 2050. Or 2100 for that matter.

@kryten its a passenger space plane. How does that have nothing to do with space exploration?

EDIT: okay maybe not "exploration". More like habitation.

[Canopus]

Kryten is right. This thing shouldn't even be called a spaceship

[Kryten]

It's a suborbital sightseer. It goes up, it comes down, nobody 'inhabits' space for longer than a few minutes. It was going to (be planned to) turn into orbital, but then somebody showed Branson the actual figures for doing so.

[Nibb31]

No way can it be turned into an orbital vehicle. To go orbital would need something much larger, like twice the size of Stratolaunch.

[Stochasty]

Anything that gets people interested in space and demonstrates that it's possible to make a profit in space is a good thing.

It should be clear by now that government will never build an effective space program. That means it's up to private industry to do it, and that means that they have to be concerned about the bottom line. Space tourism is the most immediate market. Sure, Branson is just picking the low hanging fruit here, but so what?

[Holo]

In a way, this is more important and inspiring than the ISS. It shows humanity that a normal person, if they have the money, can actually go to space right now.

[Febin]

That just makes me fuzzy inside.

[Britpoint]

I have a lot of love for Virgin Galactic and SS2. It's funny, I can measure my knowledge of space exploration using this project as a timeline. Before SS2 I was always kinda interested in space, knew a fair bit about what the Apollo missions accomplished and kept up with the ISS. But then SS2 put the idea of commercial space travel in my head, the idea that I could become an astronaut? That really kickstarted everything. Just a few years ago when the project was in it's early stages I used to look forward to the day when it would make its first orbital flight, because "Hey! If they can go suborbital than all you need is a bit more fuel to reach the kind of height you need for orbit!" I would say, foolishly. I used to see SpaceX as Virgin's rival and hoped they'd lose because the design of SS2 with it's carrier ship, shuttlecock tail, no need for tons of heat shielding seemed so much more... elegant than an old fashioned firework on a stick.

That's about the time I started learning what an orbit actually was and why it would be impossible for SS2 to ever achieve, and by extension why they were not even slightly competing with SpaceX (who I now like a lot). But I probably would have never learned that if not for Virgin Galactic. I'd probably have never bought KSP. These days I'm actually pretty well versed in the ways of space exploration and orbital mechanics. I mean, I'm no physicist or engineer of course, but as layman go I'm up there. Could answer Mastermind style questions on the topic.

So it doesn't matter to me if Virgin Galactic isn't the next giant leap in Space Exploration. They bring a taste of it to the common(ish) person. They inspired me to learn, and maybe they can bring a few new tricks to conventional air travel. Considering all that stuff, it gave me a lot of joy to see that engine light, and can't wait to see commercial operations begin.

Edited May 3, 2013 by Britpoint

[Canopus]

...if they can go suborbital than all you need is a bit more fuel to reach the kind of height you need for orbit

Sorry its not that easy. What you require more than height is speed.

[Britpoint]

Sorry its not that easy. What you require more than height is speed.

Yeah I know that now. I was talking about what my thinking was like around the time SS2 was just getting started. I know how it works these days. (Thanks KSP!)

Edited May 3, 2013 by Britpoint

[Canopus]

Oh, Sorry my bad.