Space Tourism Gaining Momentum With Virgin Galactic
- Posted on October 20, 2011 at 12:00am by
Liz Klimas
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- Virgin Galactic dedicated its ‘Spaceport America’ in New Mexico on Monday.
- NASA and Virgin Galactic sign deal to shuttle NASA astronauts to suborbital space.
- A test flight malfunction in September was announced Tuesday, but officials note its malfunctions like this that make test flights necessary.
- Officials hope for commercial flight within next couple years; ticket costs $20,000.
Just a few days before stakeholders in the private space flight industry meet for the International Symposium for Personal and Commercial Spaceflight, Virgin Galactic revealed its ‘Spaceport America’ signifying movement in the space tourism industry.
Spaceport America in New Mexico was dedicated on Monday. (Photo: Virgin Galactic)
Virgin Galactic, under Virgin Airlines, announced its plans for a commercial spaceship in 2004, and, at the time, founder Richard Branson said he hoped to be flying people in suborbital space by 2007. Although that deadline has come and gone, the spacecraft are now in testing stages and the company has said it’s hoping for a test flight into space late next year, according to Wired.
The new ‘Spaceport America’ in New Mexico was dedicated this week as Virgin Galactic space vehicles flew overhead and Branson repelled down the side of the building.
Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Galactic, scales the side of Spaceport America during its dedication. (Photo: Virgin Galactic)
“Today is another history-making day for Virgin Galactic,” said Branson according to Virgin Galactic’s website on Monday’s dedication. “We are here with a group of incredible people who are helping us lead the way in creating one of the most important new industrial sectors of the 21st century. We’ve never wavered in our commitment to the monumental task of pioneering safe, affordable and clean access to space, or to demonstrate that we mean business at each step along the way.”
Watch The Telegraph’s footage of the dedication:
Space.com has more on the recent momentum in commercial space flight:
I’m very bullish on the market. We’re seeing a lot of activity,” said George Nield, associate administrator for commercial space transportation at the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration. “We’re also seeing a real maturity in the industry itself.”
“I‘m seeing the likelihood that several of these companies are going to be at the point where they’re testing their vehicles in the next couple of years,” Nield added. “And certainly within the next five years, I expect to see regular and frequent operations.”
Virgin Galactic also recently announced a contract with NASA that will allow it three chartered missions on SpaceShipTwo into suborbital space for research.
“We are excited to be working with NASA to provide the research community with this opportunity to carry out experiments in space,” said George Whitesides, President and CEO of Virgin Galactic, in the press release. “An enormous range of disciplines can benefit from access to space, but historically, such research opportunities have been rare and expensive. At Virgin Galactic, we are fully dedicated to revolutionizing access to space, both for tourist astronauts and, through programs like this, for researchers.”
SpaceShipTwo, which is currently in testing, recently took a nosedive after a malfunction, according to The Daily Mail. After SpaceShipTwo was lifted and released by WhiteKnightTwo on September 29, the craft began immediately to drop. Daily Mail has more:
The quick-thinking crew sprung into action to adopt the ship‘s ’feather re-entry system’ and managed to land the craft safely with seconds to spare.
[...]
The feather system is a safety feature of the craft that allows it to rely on aerodynamics to control speed and altitude, rather like the flight of a shuttlecock in badminton.
It was the first time a third seat flight test engineer had been on board during a test flight.
Despite the glitch, Scaled Composites, which is building the spaceship fleet for Virgin Galactic, wrote ‘great flying by the team and good demo of feather system’ in the flight log.
Whitesides [...] said: ‘Yes, apparently the tails exhibited stall characteristics in the test – which was a steep nose down maneuver.
‘This is why we flight test, to fully explore the aerodynamic flight envelope.’
SpaceShipTwo, center, is 'feathered' up to a high altitude by WhiteKnightTwo. (Photo: Virgin Galactic)
According to Space.com, SpaceShipOne made three flights into space in 2004, two of which occurred within five days of each other. Then, after consumer feedback of the original model, Virgin Galactic created SpaceShipTwo with more room (allows for six passengers) and more windows.
Watch SpaceShipTwo’s first test flight from May 2011:
There are currently more than 430 ‘galactic astronauts’ booked for a Virgin Galactic flight when they become available, according to its website. If you’re interested in the $20,000 flight, check out your booking options here.
Virgin Galactic is not the only company seeking to gain an edge on the growing interest in space tourism, earlier this year The Blaze reported on a Russian company released concept designs of its ‘space hotel.’
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Your Name Here
Posted on October 30, 2011 at 10:03pmWhen the progressives ruin the planet with their Open Society One World Government crap the intelligent can “Go Galt” to outer space until the flatlanders kill themselves off.
Report Post »Kind of like Ben Bova’s novels Moonrise and Moonwar.
Then there is Larry Niven’s Fallen Angels novel where it seems more prophecy than fiction.
I’d rather ride in Spaceship 2 than the shuttle build on government contracts to the lowest bidder.
Snafu777
Posted on October 20, 2011 at 6:05pmI can‘t say whether it’ll work or not, but, for the record, I hope it does. The world could use a few more dreamers that are doing more than sitting on their bums on Wall Street.
Report Post »FNG
Posted on October 20, 2011 at 3:09pm@eliasim
@lumbar
I bet if either of you two sour-puss, bast#ard-teardown arsetists were to smile, your faces would crack.
There’s pills that can help with that.
Report Post »BobM
Posted on October 20, 2011 at 2:27pmWith the GENIUS of Burt Rutan and the MONEY of Richard Branson, ANYTHING is possible. SPACE SHIP ONE proved that! PRIVATE funding means ACCOUNTIBILITY. NO wasted moves.
Report Post »Joisey
Posted on October 20, 2011 at 10:46amI think Spaceship Two is elegant, beautiful, and brilliant. Naysayers are wrong, Virgin Galactic is going to be very profitable. They are already signing up NASA for multiple charter flights.
Report Post »SamIamTwo
Posted on October 20, 2011 at 8:41amYeah, well if you paid me to go, I would not go…
Report Post »BlackAce41
Posted on October 20, 2011 at 7:38amit is privateers that explored the worlds oceans, it was privateers that explored new worlds and it will ultimately Privateers that will explore the heavens farther…..
Report Post »Gonzo
Posted on October 20, 2011 at 7:30amGlad he has deep pockets because that thing will never make money. How many passengers would you have to carry a year just to break even? It‘s more of a monument to Branson’s ego than anything.
Report Post »Reminds me of the Tower of Babel just a little bit.
Stoic one
Posted on October 20, 2011 at 9:54amThis IS private enterprise I bet his accountants went over the concept with a fine tooth comb — and WILL make a profit. Pioneer-ship at it’s best.
Report Post »PAUL GULLO
Posted on October 20, 2011 at 5:53ami bet thats gonna be a wild ride
Report Post »tarbush
Posted on October 20, 2011 at 5:13amWouldn’t this be something that only those evil capitalist millionaires would be able to afford? THAT”S NOT FAIR! The occupiers are going to want it to be offered free. Well, their customer list will be useful to the commies so they can track down those they want to track down and eat.
Report Post »knighttemplar999
Posted on October 20, 2011 at 2:39am2 words; Steve Fossett.
Have a pleasant journey.
Report Post »PATRIOTGRUNT
Posted on October 20, 2011 at 1:43amWTF Blaze . Don’t you do your homework Liz. The price is $ 200,000. Deposits start @ $ 20,000 . At this price I can afford only 3 trips a year. Damn I wanted to go at least once a month.This is so safe, its safer than a trip to NY where cops will stand by and wach you get stabbed and do nothing. Well on top of that Richard said that the carbon foot print will be less than a flight from London to NY. It will be only 0.8 tons per passenger. To be honest, that’s what sold me. I was really concerned about Global Warming and Polar Bears. “ BEAM ME UP SCOTTIE ”
Report Post »hogtrashhd
Posted on October 20, 2011 at 1:01ami wanna go .. space the final frontier.. oh geez.. talk about tingle up a persons leg…. oh man.. ultimate.. i want to go. i really really want to go….. as long as I can have beer and cigs…and don’t have to shet and piss in my drawers.. ok.. i’ll go the hard route like the occupy people for this one.. i’ll give the beer and cigs up and shet and piss in my pants for a few days to do this… let me gooooooooooo..
Report Post »LinkedIn G
Posted on October 20, 2011 at 1:00amOccupy spaceport … what a maroon
Report Post »whywonder
Posted on October 20, 2011 at 1:00amRich folk first please….cant wait for a problem upon re-entry. Nah I dont really mean that.
Report Post »CatB
Posted on October 20, 2011 at 12:39amI would like us to pitch in and buy some one way tickets … starting with Obama, Holder, Pelosi, Reid, … etc. It would be cheaper in the long run!
TEA!
Report Post »whywonder
Posted on October 20, 2011 at 12:48amLets send the 1% up until they agree to pay back the 750 billion they borrowed from the chimese for the bush tax cuts.
Report Post »kickagrandma
Posted on October 20, 2011 at 6:42amVoting with you! I was just thinking, maybe we could send all the yuckos up and let GOD sort them out. Actually, they are the only ones “who love the earth soooooo much” that they are always traveling anyway. Ever notice they never are out in the wild or even in their own yards digging weeds, hauling leaves, etc? What on earth would they do in space?
I’ve a better destination in mind for them. It starts with a letter in the English alphabet…. Can you guess what it is?
HAPPY DAY, BLAZERS!
RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS (Does that include the leftists????)
Report Post »Lumbar Spine
Posted on October 20, 2011 at 12:34amOh, boy…maybe someday Glenn Beck can visit the planet Kolob!
Report Post »Hungry_i
Posted on October 20, 2011 at 12:30amI predict a total disaster.
Report Post »Eliasim
Posted on October 20, 2011 at 12:27amHow many times do these idiots think people are going to pay that kind of money to go to space? Maybe once if that? Yep, there’s the earth, and the clouds moving, oh look there’s some lightning, alright let’s go to the scenic mountain resort instead where we can see an eagle snatch a fish.
Report Post »Eliasim
Posted on October 20, 2011 at 12:35amHere let me count the number of clouds in the sky, oh wait a minute that’s right, they are not countable because their number changes every hundredth of a second.
Report Post »Eliasim
Posted on October 20, 2011 at 12:19amWell isn’t that just fabulous? The country is going to burn down all around the space-port, but hey there will be a space-port. Richard Branson is a Moron.
Report Post »Lumbar Spine
Posted on October 20, 2011 at 12:36amWell…the Caliphate will probably destroy the country soon anyway.
Report Post »