Jan 11
Virgin Galactic’s space plane, SpaceShipTwo, finished its third rocket-powered test flight
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Jan 10
SpaceShipTwo just finished its third rocket-powered test and reached the highest altitude its ever been at 71,000 feet by hitting a maximum velocity of Mach 1.4. You can see the new reflective coating on the rocket plane’s tail booms which perfectly reflects the flame and our Earth. Lovely. Cant wait to book my ticket!
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Sep 05
Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo might not have the flashiest name, but a lack of nominal originality didn’t stop it from completing its second test flight today at the Mojave Air and Space Port in California. Back in April, SpaceShipTwo’s first flight hit an altitude of 55,000 feet (traveling at Mach 1.2) before descending, but this time around, the little rocket plane that could one-upped itself. After being ferried to a height of approximately 40,000 feet by carrier-craft WhiteKnightTwo, the ship soared to an impressive 69,000 feet at Mach 1.4 while the engine roared for a total of 20 seconds. The outing, led by pilots Mark Stucky and Clint Nichols, also marked the first test of the craft’s wing-tilting re-entry system. According to Virgin’s Sir Richard Branson, SpaceShipTwo’s progress means that the company is still on track to launch its commercial service in 2014. To see the test flight for yourself, check out the video after the break.
Filed under: Transportation
Via: NBC News
Source: MARS Scientific, Virgin Galactic (Twitter)
May 02
The Engadget Interview: Sir Richard Branson on Virgin Galactic and space tourism for the everyman
Posted in: Today's Chili
It’s been a particularly good week for Sir Richard Branson. SpaceShipTwo, Virgin Galactic’s sub-orbital peoplecarrier broke the sound barrier for the first time, and Virgin America began service into San Jose, California. Sir Richard was in town to welcome VA’s first San Jose arrival, and we jumped at the chance to chat with him, even if only for a few minutes.
Our conversation revolved around Virgin Galactic’s latest milestone on its journey towards ferrying the masses to the stars. Naturally, we wanted to know his plan to make space travel affordable for us non-billionaires, as the current cost of a Virgin Galactic ticket is a cool $200K quarter million dollars. His solution? A combination of more spacecraft, more spaceports and the most prolific satellite delivery service in history.
Apr 29
Virgin Galactic has certainly come a long way since it announced its intention to the world a few years ago, where even Sir Richard Branson himself would fly into space to conduct a wedding ceremony for a couple who would want a truly unique wedding, and here we are in 2013 with the SpaceShipTwo that has managed to achieve its first rocket-powered flight, dripped in success, of course. The test flight that happened on April 12, 2013 proved to be a key milestone in advancing the SpaceShipTwo’s first rocket powered flight, having arrived at supersonic speeds to ensure a smooth journey toward commercial flights sometime down the road.
The SpaceShipTwo space plane was carried aloft by mothership WhiteKnightTwo, where it was then released in mid-air at an altitude of approximately 46,000 feet, which proved to be the point where SpaceShipTwo sent its rocket engine to work, helping propel the craft all the way up to space after that. Virgin Galactic president and CEO George Whitesides said, “We will now embark on a handful of similar powered flight tests, and then make our first test flight to space.”
By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Ethiopian Airlines First To Start Boeing 787 Dreamliner Commercial Flights, Twizy Renault Sport F1 Concept, 
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Apr 29
Virgin Galactic’s commercial space plane makes first successful test flight
Posted in: Today's Chili 
Attention, amateur space cadets! If you’ve ever wanted to swing on a star or see one up close, consider this proof positive Virgin Galactic’s that much closer to making your dreams come true. SpaceShipTwo, its inventively named commercial vehicle designed to take well-moneyed civilians into outerspace, has just completed its first rocket-powered test flight. The craft, partially owned by Virgin group overlord Sir Richard Branson and the Abu Dhabi-based investment group PJC, took off earlier today from its berth at Mojave Air and Space Port in California, where carrier-craft WhiteKnightTwo ferried it to a 47,000 ft altitude after which its own rockets kicked in for a supersonic flight. In all, the solo run lasted just slightly over ten minutes, during which the SS2 notched an altitude of 55,000 feet before returning safely back to its desert port.
For its first outing, the SS2 scored high marks by Virgin Galactic chief George Whitesides’ estimation, performing just as expected with “expected burn duration, good engine performance and solid… handling qualities throughout.” It’s encouraging news for the nascent commercial space industry, although it’s worth noting this flight carried reduced risk considering it was bound to our own atmosphere. The team anticipates that “full space flight” testing will begin sometime before year’s end. As for when you’ll be able to actually book a real deal luxury space flight? Virgin Galactic’s set a tentative 2015 date for that, giving you, the every(wo)man, plenty of time to save up or mortgage your life for the opportunity to tour the cosmos.
Filed under: Science
Source: Virgin Galactic
Jul 15
Richard Branson confirms Virgin Galactic’s first space tourism flight will launch next year with him on board
Posted in: Today's Chili 
Richard Branson has long said that he’d be on board Virgin Galactic’s first commercial space tourism flight, and he’s now confirmed that will take place sometime next year with his two adult children along for the ride (a bit of a delay from the company’s original 2011 target). That trip will of course be made with the company’s SpaceShipTwo craft, which has already completed a number of test flights, and which is capable of flying 100 kilometers (or just over 60 miles) above the Earth for a planned two and a half hour flight with five minutes of weightlessness. As the AP notes, some 529 people have already signed up for the $200,000 per person rides into space, each of whom will have to take part in a week of training prior to their trip. Bookings can still be made on Virgin Galactic’s website.
Filed under: Transportation
Richard Branson confirms Virgin Galactic’s first space tourism flight will launch next year with him on board originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 15 Jul 2012 16:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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