Virgin Galactic: World’s First Spaceline
Virgin Galactic is designing a spaceline that will present to you a chance to become one of the first non-professional astronauts. Because Virgin Galactic is privately owned by Richard Branson’s Virgin Group, you will no longer have to dream of becoming an astronaut just to go to space. Their hope is to become the world’s first commercial spaceline.
The space ship called Space Ship 1 is carried up to an elevation of 50,000 feet by the mother ship called White Knight 1, and then dropped. The space ship falls for just a few seconds before it starts its rocket burn and it’s off to space (360,000 feet). Each space flight will last about 2.5 hours and then you will glide back down to earth.
You will have to pass a medical exam in order to take the flight. There is also a 3 days of pre-flight training and bonding requirement that must be met before the flight as well.
“The deal with Mojave Aerospace Ventures is just he start to what we believe will be a new era in the history of mankind, one day making the affordable exploration of space by human beings a real possibility”.1 Richard Branson
White Knight 1 and its space ship have successfully made their first voyage. Construction on White Knight 2 and its space ship are almost complete and are being built by a company in Mojave, California called Scaled Composites. White Knight 1 and White Knight 2 are designed a little different. White knight 1 carries the spaceship 1 under the fuselage. White Knight 2 is a tandem fuselage and spaceship 2 is located in between them
The reason I chose this product is because I find it amazing that space flight can be commercialized. I think we are very fortunate to be able to have anything we want. I know I will never be able to afford to go to space. I am not sure if I had the opportunity to go I would, I am worried about how you would get back to the ground safely. I trust the flight up and even the drop and the start of the rocket burn but once your 360,000 feet in space, how would you just glide down? Entering the atmosphere at that rate of speed seems a little scary.
I encourage you to check out the web site. I think it’s got a lot of pictures and test flights that you may find interesting. The link is http://www.virgingalactic.com/
SOURCES:
1. http://www.virgingalactic.com/flash.html?language=english
Let me just say this, Sweetness! Ya know Branson has taking the capability of flight to a higher level. him and his recently deceased partner(his name is elusive), have actually made money in many markets around the world in the commercial aviation industry, which no American company has really been able to steadily do since 1980s deregulation. Branson puts this equity to use in ventures that elevate the possiblities of man. I fondly remember in early grade school we were told a trip to Mars was going to happen around 2020, 2030, that doesn't really seem like a possibility without a new spacecraft and launching technique(Solid rocket boosters and hydrogen weigh too much). Just like Lana I don't think this is for the avg. joe/jane, but I do think Branson has made real progress here; and is the standard by which other business entrepenuers should look to. I would also comment that the technology is necessarily safe, probably safer than our NASA spacecraft. When NASA comes back their more like a brick falling out of the sky, their engines aren't on. Almost like a deadstick landing.
ReplyDeleteThis is awesome! It's always been a dream of mine to go to space. Now all I need is a couple million dollars ....
ReplyDelete