SpaceShip Two design revealed... (1 Viewer)

[Rickboy]

Remember Space Ship One? The first private space craft that was built by Burt Rutan. Well Burt and Richard Branson have unveiled SpaceShip TWO which will be owned by Virgin Galactic and start test flights this summer...

http://www.space.com/news/080123-virgingalactic-ss2-design.html

 

[LonghornSaint]

This. Is. Awesome.

wow.

I'll have to wait until they get their rocket engine failure/blowup cleared up, but still, wow.

LS

 

[hammernnails]

forgive my ignorance but what advantage does this have over a conventional airplane?? can you get from point A to point B faster??

 

[Goats]

Virgin Galactic is offering tickets aboard SpaceShipTwo spaceliners for an initial price of about $200,000

Now thats a deal!

 

[LonghornSaint]

Their video "Let the journey Begin" is fantastic.

LS

 

[Bless U Boys]

For $200,000 I might as well get the 2 Cowboys nosebleed season tickets...

 

[CHI-TOWNSAINT]

I don't know about you guys, but 200,000$ to actually go into space is well worth it. If I ever have that kind of cash available for something like this, I'd jump on it.

To be 1 of a few people to ever go into space would be unbelievable.

 

[Diabolik The Saint]

forgive my ignorance but what advantage does this have over a conventional airplane?? can you get from point A to point B faster??

An Airplane or jet would suffer from lack of oxygen for the engines at that altitude and would stall back to earth. This new ship will drop from its mothership at the highest altitude 50,000ft and then rocket into space with its wings folded back. When it is ready to decend into the atmosphere the wings will unfold into place so it can be stablized and glide back to the runway that awaits it. The interior cockpit looks like Flash Gordons ship from the 1930s serials.

 

[Bundok Saint]

forgive my ignorance but what advantage does this have over a conventional airplane?? can you get from point A to point B faster??

Hammer, this has nothing to do with traveling from one place to another. Actually, passengers on this craft will land virtually at the same place they took off from.

This project is being developed by Rutan (the designer) and Branson (the money) for the emerging "space tourism" market. Basically, people are going to pay 200 large to shoot up 68 miles into space, experience a few minutes of weightlessness and the incredible view, and then re-enter the atmosphere and glide to a landing.

 

[1yearOlder]

I need perspective .

 

[CoolBrees1]

I hate flying....plus I don't have $200,000.00 for airfare anyway....but the reward miles would really be awesome...

 

[SaintAkira]

Yeah, if I had the $200k to burn, I'd do it in a heartbeat (come on PowerBall).

It's outerfreakingspace. Talk about a conversation starter:

Q: "What'd you do this weekend?"

A: "A little sightseeing....in SPACE! You?"

 

[Saint LesPaul]

That thing would have to be up and running for a minimum of 7 problem free years before I would ever consider getting aboard. Weightlessness would be cool... but on a commercial jet we all take the risk of falling 50k ft to a horrible, yet quick end. A 400k ft fall? Or worse yet (if this is possible) not being able to get back to Earth? Cant think of many things worse than that. I'm sure it's neat, though.