Richard Branson’s Commercial Spaceship Set to Launch Passengers into Outer-Space
- Posted on July 4, 2011 at 10:39pm by
Tiffany Gabbay
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One former RAF pilot’s lifelong dream of becoming an astronaut might actually come to fruition after he was tapped by Sir Richard Branson to become chief pilot for Virgin Galactic, Branson’s $200,000 per ticket sub-orbital “commercial” spacecraft enterprise. The “VSS Enterprise” — named after the famed Star Trek Enterprise — is expected to make its virgin voyage in roughly 18 months time, delivering Branson along with his family and over 400 passengers into 60 plus miles above the earth’s atmosphere.
According to the Sunday Telegraph day, Dave Mackay, who’d long dreamed of space-travel will reach a cruising altitude of around 50,000 feet then literally fire up rockets to launch the Enterprise an additional 300,000 feet into space at 3.5 times the speed of sound. The passengers, allegedly, will be flattened into their seats before eventually experiencing “zero gravity.”
Mackay spoke to the Sunday Telegraph about his cream come true:
“I was a frustrated astronaut all my life,” said Mr Mackay. “I had grown up at a time when space seemed to have no boundaries and lot of us presumed humans would be living on the Moon and landing on Mars. At the time, it seemed very disappointing to realise that wasn’t going to happen.
“So what’s happening out here in the Mojave now shows that dreams do come true and you should never give up on them. This really feels like the new frontier of flight.”
He is scheduled to be the first pilot to deliver the memorable in-flight announcement informing passengers that they have reached the weightless world of zero gravity more than 62.5 miles above the earth – the 100 km altitude widely recognised as the start of space.
Asked how he will phrase that historic message, he said: “Oh I imagine I’ll say: ’Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to space. You are now free to float around the cabin’.”
The Enterprise will depart from a sophisticated commercial spaceport based in New Mexico. Of the 440 people already paid up for the space-flight, many include celebrities such as Russell Brand, Katy Perry, Victoria Principal and Professor Stephen Hawking.
Saddened by the end of the U.S. Space Shuttle program, Mackay believes Virgin Galactic’s prgram is an “opportunity” for the commercial world to step in where NASA left off.
“The big discovery for me was how much fun it was,” he said. “At one stage, my feet were in the roof of the plane. I felt like a kid and I just couldn’t stop giggling.”
If given the chance, would you like to hop a plane to space?
Below is a video of the Virgin Galactic “feather flight”:
(H/T: The Telegraph)
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Comments (60)
tomloy
Posted on July 5, 2011 at 6:48amYou have to remember back in the early 1900 airline tickets were expensive. The price for a ticket to space will drop. We need commerical access to space to get cheap access. Government never does anything cheap.
Report Post »RepubliCorp
Posted on July 5, 2011 at 3:02amWatch the tax junkies bit*h. Why should only rich people get go into space.
Report Post »HorseCrazy
Posted on July 5, 2011 at 1:22am*rolls eyes* keeping up the stereotype that the uber wealthy go crazy after a while. having said that I can think of quite a few people I would love to send to the moon
Report Post »saviorammo
Posted on July 5, 2011 at 12:54amMaybe he will park that thing in the garage found on Mars. Not a peep on that discovery or cover up.
Hope the green guys don’t use him for target practice. Oh wait, that was the sun reflecting off the windshield. No, wait, they have never launched a vehicle into space with reflective glass.
Vehicle looks like a piece of crap. I am sure Von Braun and gang hid better in Area 51, but awesome for doing it on his dime.
By the way, where is all the money that was supposed to send us to the moon 100times?
Please take Obama with you and leave him with the rest of the space junk? Please!
Report Post »Fina Biscotti
Posted on July 5, 2011 at 12:42amhow nice – floating around the cabin – in their poop suits……
Report Post »Ghandi was a Republican
Posted on July 5, 2011 at 12:41amIf not for Capitalism we could well be celebrating rubber shod wagon wheels about now! Oh- for the worker‘s paradise and the good ol’ days..
Report Post »TheAmericanRifleman
Posted on July 5, 2011 at 12:36amNOW, the space race has begun.
Report Post »the_ancient
Posted on July 5, 2011 at 12:32amPersonally I am more Excited over SpaceX’s work than I am over Virgin Galactic but……
I cant wait until the first non-governmental maned orbital mission…..
Report Post »miketype1each
Posted on July 5, 2011 at 12:24amThe Moon program got the ax, and now the Shuttle. I am most thankful SOMEONE is going to space besides the commies. LOVE Burt Rutan, and LOVE Richard Branson. Personally, I think they’d make a great presidential ticket.
Report Post »mossbrain
Posted on July 5, 2011 at 12:17amI hope that thing blows up like a bottle rocket. Bwahahahahah.
Report Post »the_ancient
Posted on July 5, 2011 at 12:09am@AUDIEMURPHY
your way of thinking is the reason why we have basically stalled as far as innovation goes….. Everything has to be sooo perfect and with out any danger at all period….
If our Regulatory policies would have been in place back in Wright Bros day, they never would have flown…. Back in Ford’s day we would have never had cars… etc
Life is a Risk, Life is Danger…. Live it, or die in a bubble
Report Post »Your Name Here
Posted on July 5, 2011 at 7:43am“If you aren’t living on the edge you are taking up too much space.”
We should offer the liberals a free vacation on the moon. They’re stupid enough to go for it.
Report Post »Eventually we could get rid of all of them.
I’m refering to a story by C.M.Kornbluth called the Marching Morons.
The story can be found here where you can read it for free.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/23657356/The-Marching-Morons
This story was written around 1958 but, like Atlas Shrugged, fits todays reality very well.
handsmcml
Posted on July 6, 2011 at 4:18pmI love the story! It read like the original story behind “Ideocracy.” I feel that we are living in the bigining stages of the world described in these stories. God help us all.
Report Post »DYNA
Posted on July 4, 2011 at 11:48pmI like this. I like creative industry, and the can do attitude.
Now compare this to the former employees of ACORN, the union protesters in WI, and
Report Post »a “community activist.”
cheezwhiz
Posted on July 5, 2011 at 12:00amDYNA
Report Post »Now compare this to the former employees of ACORN, the union protesters in WI, and
a “community activist.”
—–
Maybe Obama will send these thugs to protest Richard Branson since he is one of those
“ private jet owners ” who are keeping inner city kids from going to college :O
GETLIFE
Posted on July 5, 2011 at 2:54am“Maybe Obama will send these thugs to protest Richard Branson since he is one of those
“ private jet owners ” who are keeping inner city kids from going to college :O” –Cheezwhiz
Richard Branson never finished college. I’m not sure he even went at all.
Report Post »frustratedwithgovt
Posted on July 4, 2011 at 11:46pmBranson may be eccentric but he has vision.
Report Post »Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on July 4, 2011 at 11:21pmIt may sound insame to many people, yet consider that at one time people said the same of the ability to fly – until the airplane was invented; same with trains, cars, computers and such. The part of ‘it cannot be done’ just means someone has not yet figured out how to achieve it.
The only part now I wonder is how Obama will handle this thing when it works. Will he order it to be grounded as a threat to national security and the enviorment or just shoot it down?
Report Post »audiemurphy
Posted on July 4, 2011 at 11:19pmI like the idea just not sold on the Branson way of business on this venture. big risk on this one if it burns up or crashes it’s not gonna be good! The technology looks a little rushed and unproven to be considered safe. How many years does a Boeing jet and how much testing before it‘s ok’d by the regulatory agencies give it a thumbs up?Alot longer than this things been designed. Sounds cool but I wouldn’t be on this bird . Just like I didn’t buy the 1st gen 3D tv. It‘s gonna have glitches I don’t think ya want glitches when you’re leaving or entering the atmosphere.
Report Post »seeker9
Posted on July 4, 2011 at 11:13pmGodspeed, Richard Branson.
Report Post »poverty.sucks
Posted on July 4, 2011 at 11:11pm@Ron – Obama is all talk. Failure is Obama’s present and future.
Report Post »Justthefactsmam
Posted on July 4, 2011 at 11:09pmI’d be there with bells on if I could afford it
Report Post »becauseitmatters
Posted on July 5, 2011 at 10:03amMe too!
Report Post »audiemurphy
Posted on July 4, 2011 at 11:06pmdo u gotta sign a waiver ?
Report Post »TH30PH1LUS
Posted on July 4, 2011 at 11:04pmWhat?! You mean government programs have FAILED to deliver the Jetson’s to us?! And now this, this … entrepreneur is going to just… do it himself? With no Agency funding? No United Nations guiding his hands? Unthinkable!
/sarcasm
Report Post »psst
Posted on July 4, 2011 at 11:03pmVoyage in 18 mths? They better hurry and get going before then.
Report Post »When Soetoro’s tax the rich and the middle-class hits,these folks who had to pony up 200K for this ride may have to “axe” for a refund to pay their taxes.
cheezwhiz
Posted on July 4, 2011 at 11:01pmWhat will be the carbon footprint of this enterprise ?
Report Post »Has Richard Branson purchased sufficient carbon credits from AlGore ?
If this spaceship takes Nazi Policei up into space and throws her out the window, up there, with a broom, can she fly back to DC ?
cheddarlump
Posted on July 5, 2011 at 2:58pmPractically zero, seeing as it’s a hydrogen rocket. Unless you want to ban water vapor, too..
Report Post »Stoic one
Posted on July 4, 2011 at 10:57pmAWESOME! hopefully the gov’t will not interfere..
Report Post »whatthecrazy
Posted on July 4, 2011 at 10:51pmsounds insane
Report Post »Ron_WA
Posted on July 4, 2011 at 10:47pmAh the entrepreneurial spirit, too bad it’s a Brit & the cost to go into space is also out of this world … Hey, where’s that innovation & Winning The Future (WTF) Obama keeps talking about?
Report Post »banjarmon
Posted on July 5, 2011 at 12:05amI wish them GOD’s safety. It‘s something our government won’t do…Shame on BO!
Report Post »fastfacts
Posted on July 5, 2011 at 12:13amMORAL DECISIONS… THAT IS WHAT WILL MAKE AMERICA’S FUTURE
Isn’t it wonderful that we control the future of America, not the politicians, no machines, us, we, you and me.
What makes the US awesome… we do? Ask the man on the street… http://tiny.cc/ohthc
Like Reagan said, it is time to choose: http://tiny.cc/wz09c
Report Post »kralspaces
Posted on July 5, 2011 at 7:19amThere is a lot more USA in this project than you think. I know my NM tax dollar are helping. We built the Spaceport for it.
Report Post »drphil69
Posted on July 5, 2011 at 11:26amWith 400 passengers, prices will quickly drop. Of course, with the impending collapse of the Dollar, soon nobody will be able to afford such a luxury.
Report Post »teamarcheson
Posted on July 5, 2011 at 8:14pmThe first flights are always the most expensive due to the initial setup coasts. At one time only the rich could afford trans-Atlantic travel on steam ships unless they traveled as ballast. The first TV sets were out of site and video recorders were beyond most Americans. As time goes by, technology brings down the cost of everything.
Report Post »djmaine
Posted on July 5, 2011 at 10:13pmyou are right on the money.
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