Virgin Galactic offers orbital flights?

[stephentracey]

How many years until Virgin Galactic offer orbital flights ?<br /><br />Yes I know that the sub-orbital flights don't start until late 2008.... but I wonder what their plans are for orbital flight ?<br /><br />Any thoughts ?

 

[subzero788]

They plan orbital flights "in the next decade" but who really knows? I wouldn't make any guesses at least until they've made a few successful sub-orbital flights, which I'm willing to bet won't happen by 2008.

 

[mlorrey]

Actually, the first SS2 should be delivered next year, according to info I've gotten. It will likely undergo a lengthy FAA-style qualification trial, as this will be a passenger aircraft, not an experimental aircraft, so, a late 2006 1st delivery, a 8-12 month testing and certification process, with a grand opening in early 2008, barring any setbacks.

 

[holmec]

SS2 is part of Tier 1 (suborbital flight) according to Rutan. Tier 2 is orbital flight. So its too early to tell when.<br /><br />I'll let you know that Rutan also wants to go to Tier 3 which is going to planets in our solar system.<br /><br />So big dreams. The sooner SS2 is up and running the closer an orbital SpaceShip# will be in the works, I expect.<br /><br />But there is other "orbital" work being done. The CXV is being developed and lo and behold Scaled Composites and AirLaunch LLC are helping T/space in this effort:<br /><br />http://www.transformspace.com/document_library/media/AIAA-2006-1040.pdf <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#0000ff"><em>"SCE to AUX" - John Aaron, curiosity pays off</em></font></p> </div>

 

[holmec]

"Actually, the first SS2 should be delivered next year"<br /><br />Sorry dude, but SS2 is suborbital not orbital. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#0000ff"><em>"SCE to AUX" - John Aaron, curiosity pays off</em></font></p> </div>

 

[mlorrey]

did I say it was? No, I didn't, I was responding to the claim that the suborbital flights wouldn't even start by 2008.

 

[holmec]

>did I say it was? No, I didn't, I was responding to the claim that the suborbital flights wouldn't even start by 2008.<<br /><br />Just making a clarification. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#0000ff"><em>"SCE to AUX" - John Aaron, curiosity pays off</em></font></p> </div>

 

[mlorrey]

clarification of what? a non-existent comment?

 

[thermionic]

<br />I attended a lecture by Rutan last year, and he mentioned anticipating private orbital flights around 2015. I think he recongnizes the challenges. His comment was not in regard to Virgin Galactic, but rather the timeline of technology development.

 

[soyuztma]

They are certainly planning for the future, according to Flight International they have increased the size of White Knight 2 from 737 size to 757 size to accomodate future craft which may include orbital spaceships.<br />It seems that White Knight 2 will be an impressive aircraft. But there orbital spacecraft will stil have to be reasonably small, otherwise they are going to need a gigantic aircraft to lift the booster rocket. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[nacnud]

I wonder if this means that the White Knight II and t/Spaces Very Large Aircraft are becomeing the same thing?

 

[subzero788]

<blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /><p>Actually, the first SS2 should be delivered next year, according to info I've gotten. It will likely undergo a lengthy FAA-style qualification trial, as this will be a passenger aircraft, not an experimental aircraft, so, a late 2006 1st delivery, a 8-12 month testing and certification process, with a grand opening in early 2008, barring any setbacks.<p><hr /></p></p></blockquote><br />I'd still put my money on a post 2008 flight <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" />. Unfortunately, Space vechicle development nearly always takes longer than predicted. But I would be very happy to see SpaceShip2 lift off in 2008!<br /><br />

 

[scottb50]

That's what Beechcraft thought with the Starship, the prototype followed SS1 by the way. <br /><br />Get the FAA involved and live off your investors for a few years. When the Starship met a requirement they added another. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[zensphere]

Vacation.