We doubt there’s anyone reading this site who hasn’t dreamed of going to space, of seeing the entire world floating in a black vacuum below, of joining the ranks of the incredibly few humans who’ve actually left the planet, and maybe of eating a few weightless M&Ms while taking it all in. Today, only the truly fabulously wealthy can fulfill such dreams, as it takes a cool $30-million or so to buy your way aboard a Russian voyage to the ISS. Within just years however, Virgin Galactic will change everything by driving the financial barrier to entering the last frontier down to just $190,000, and once efficiencies of scale kick in, even less than that.
The X Prize winning SpaceShip1 pioneered in innumerable fields, ranging from the specialized materials and construction processes employed in building the craft to its unique and highly efficient air-launch strategy from a high-flying ‘WhiteKnight’ mothership. We covered the first announcement of Virgin Galactic’s larger commercial follow-on to SS1 back in January, and now, dispelling ‘vapor-ware’ whispers in the best way possible, we’ve got pics of Virgin Galactic’s new WhiteKnightTwo launch mothership fresh out of Scaled Composites’ hangers in the Mohave desert.
Wow!
Yet another thing to try before I die. I wonder what historians will think about a few hundred years into the future. Computers, space flight, etc. all in a not that long time span if you think about it.
The binary-aircraft concept is actually quite old. The air force did a lot of intensive study into that and aerodynamic lifting bodies (for re-entry vehicles) back in the ’50’s and ’60’s.
“to its unique and highly efficient air-launch strategy from a high-flying ‘WhiteKnight’ mothership.”
This approach is over 40 years old.
WOW! That thing looks like a disaster waiting to happen, or a brilliant design. We’ll see when the test flights start.
I’ll believe it when I see it and it’s reached main stream. I’m still waiting on my Jeston car, hell, I’d be happy with a fuel efficient car that gets more than 30 mpg.
Visiting space in my life time? Um, no, I doubt that will happen even at $190k we’re probably looking at 2100+ and then 190k will be more like 190 million.
Wow, that is one good reason to live another 50 years: the possibility of going into space!
#6 I would pay $190k to go straight up and fall back. Sub orbital flight for a few moments isn’t worth it. If you want to experience free fall there are FAR cheaper ways to do it.
#5 – My 1998 Ford Escort gets 30-33 mpg. Buy American.
I would love visit space. Why do these comments try to bring down new ideas? If you think you can’t do it, then you probably won’t.
#7 I agree. Until orbital flight is on the menu it just isn’t worth it. That said, there are plenty Hollywood idiots with the money and willingness to part with it to maybe keep them flying long enough to get Spaceship3 and WhiteKnight 3 in the air.
If you remember the shuttle on 2001: A Space Oddessy had the PanAm logo on it. Richard Branson really wants the Virgin Galatic logo on the real one when it happens and it looks like he is willing to foot the bill to make it happen.
Burt Rutan is my MAIN, MAIN, MAIN, MAIN MAN! ! ! !
Ok call me a fanboy, but you just gotta love and admire him.
Let’s not forget the U.S. Navy dirigibles Akron and Macon, which carried Sparrow Hawk fighters back there in the ’30s
Maybe they can get Figrin D’an and the Modal Nodes to play at the first departure celebration.
Sure the technique is 50 years old. It works. Doesn’t anyone remember the X series of aircraft? Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier in the X-1, Glamorous Glynnis.
You might enjoy the new series “This Day In Space” on the sister site.
http://cagematch.dvorak.org/index.php/topic,5074.0.html