Virgin Galactic goes where it's gone twice before, for the first time in two years
(2021/05/24)
- Reference: 1621844105
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2021/05/24/virgin_galactic_test_flight_success/
- Source link:
On Saturday, Virgin Galactic completed its third spaceflight and the first from its new launch location outside White Sands National Park in New Mexico.
VSS Unity, the name given to Virgin Galactic's second spaceplane, took off bolted to Virgin's mothership VMS Eve. After release, it hit Mach 3 and an apogee of 55.45 miles (89km) before its descent and runway landing.
The spacecraft is designed to hold six passengers and two pilots, but had just two onboard on Saturday - pilot-in-command CJ Sturckow and co-pilot Dave Mackay. Kelly Latimer and Michael Masucci, piloted VMS Eve. As many things are still a first these days when it comes to spacecraft, Virgin lauded Sturckow as "the first person ever to have flown to space from three different states."
Space is too good not to share. Our proof is in the incredible views of Earth aboard [1]#Unity21 .
See more from the spaceflight: [2]https://t.co/jXAuNRAbpw [3]#VirginGalactic [4]pic.twitter.com/F1pdPmvDx2 — Virgin Galactic (@virgingalactic) [5]May 23, 2021
Virgin Galactic described the experience in a [6]canned statement :
The crew experienced extraordinary views of the bright, blue-rimmed curvature of the earth against the blackness of space. New Mexico’s White Sands National Park sparkled brilliantly below.
The beardy Branson-backed company's business is selling joyrides, but the flight did fulfill a number of scientific objectives.
Virgin Galactic said VSS Unity carried revenue-generating research experiments for NASA's Flight Opportunities Program, a program that facilitates projects NASA thinks will eventually be useful to them or the US commercial spaceflight industry.
[7]
[8]
[9]
The flight also collected data needed for the company to obtain its FAA commercial reusable spacecraft operator's license, validated EMI restrictions and tested the vehicle's upgraded horizontal stabilizers and flight controls.
In their statement, Virgin Galactic said:
Following the flight, and in line with normal procedures, Virgin Galactic will conduct a review of all test data gathered and thoroughly inspect the spaceship and mothership. Once the team confirms the results, the Company plans to proceed to the next flight test milestone.
The flight is the first for the company in over two years and what Virgin Galactic [10]hopes is "a meaningful step toward the opening of commercial space travel."
[11]Another week, another issue: Virgin Galactic mulls test flight restart as VSS Unity fixed – but VMS Eve might be borked
[12]Bezos denied: New Glenn launch pushed into 2022 after Space Force says no
[13]Virgin Galactic reveals giant mirror feature in cabin design for Beardy Branson's space bus
[14]Russia returns to space tourism and offers a first citizen spacewalk
Parties interested in a joyride can [15]register their interest online. The online form warns the price of a flight will top $250k for those who sign up early, a bargain compared to the minimum [16]$1.4m Blue Origin wants to charge to get passengers to get into space. ®
Get our [17]Tech Resources
[1] https://twitter.com/hashtag/Unity21?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[2] https://t.co/jXAuNRAbpw
[3] https://twitter.com/hashtag/VirginGalactic?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[4] https://t.co/F1pdPmvDx2
[5] https://twitter.com/virgingalactic/status/1396276052452773893?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[6] https://www.virgingalactic.com/articles/virgin-galactic-completes-first-human-spaceflight-from-spaceport-america-new-mexico/
[7] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2YKt5Ojt6zR9F2YgoEb8c-QAAANU&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[8] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YKt5Ojt6zR9F2YgoEb8c-QAAANU&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[9] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33YKt5Ojt6zR9F2YgoEb8c-QAAANU&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[10] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TVs2lWk_GI
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2021/05/12/virgin_galactic_issues/
[12] https://www.theregister.com/2021/02/26/bezos_and_branson/
[13] https://www.theregister.com/2020/07/29/virgin_galactic_unveils_cabin_design/
[14] https://www.theregister.com/2020/06/26/first_spacewalking_tourist/
[15] https://www.virgingalactic.com/register
[16] https://www.theregister.com/2021/05/20/blue_origin_price/
[17] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
VSS Unity, the name given to Virgin Galactic's second spaceplane, took off bolted to Virgin's mothership VMS Eve. After release, it hit Mach 3 and an apogee of 55.45 miles (89km) before its descent and runway landing.
The spacecraft is designed to hold six passengers and two pilots, but had just two onboard on Saturday - pilot-in-command CJ Sturckow and co-pilot Dave Mackay. Kelly Latimer and Michael Masucci, piloted VMS Eve. As many things are still a first these days when it comes to spacecraft, Virgin lauded Sturckow as "the first person ever to have flown to space from three different states."
Space is too good not to share. Our proof is in the incredible views of Earth aboard [1]#Unity21 .
See more from the spaceflight: [2]https://t.co/jXAuNRAbpw [3]#VirginGalactic [4]pic.twitter.com/F1pdPmvDx2 — Virgin Galactic (@virgingalactic) [5]May 23, 2021
Virgin Galactic described the experience in a [6]canned statement :
The crew experienced extraordinary views of the bright, blue-rimmed curvature of the earth against the blackness of space. New Mexico’s White Sands National Park sparkled brilliantly below.
The beardy Branson-backed company's business is selling joyrides, but the flight did fulfill a number of scientific objectives.
Virgin Galactic said VSS Unity carried revenue-generating research experiments for NASA's Flight Opportunities Program, a program that facilitates projects NASA thinks will eventually be useful to them or the US commercial spaceflight industry.
[7]
[8]
[9]
The flight also collected data needed for the company to obtain its FAA commercial reusable spacecraft operator's license, validated EMI restrictions and tested the vehicle's upgraded horizontal stabilizers and flight controls.
In their statement, Virgin Galactic said:
Following the flight, and in line with normal procedures, Virgin Galactic will conduct a review of all test data gathered and thoroughly inspect the spaceship and mothership. Once the team confirms the results, the Company plans to proceed to the next flight test milestone.
The flight is the first for the company in over two years and what Virgin Galactic [10]hopes is "a meaningful step toward the opening of commercial space travel."
[11]Another week, another issue: Virgin Galactic mulls test flight restart as VSS Unity fixed – but VMS Eve might be borked
[12]Bezos denied: New Glenn launch pushed into 2022 after Space Force says no
[13]Virgin Galactic reveals giant mirror feature in cabin design for Beardy Branson's space bus
[14]Russia returns to space tourism and offers a first citizen spacewalk
Parties interested in a joyride can [15]register their interest online. The online form warns the price of a flight will top $250k for those who sign up early, a bargain compared to the minimum [16]$1.4m Blue Origin wants to charge to get passengers to get into space. ®
Get our [17]Tech Resources
[1] https://twitter.com/hashtag/Unity21?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[2] https://t.co/jXAuNRAbpw
[3] https://twitter.com/hashtag/VirginGalactic?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[4] https://t.co/F1pdPmvDx2
[5] https://twitter.com/virgingalactic/status/1396276052452773893?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[6] https://www.virgingalactic.com/articles/virgin-galactic-completes-first-human-spaceflight-from-spaceport-america-new-mexico/
[7] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2YKt5Ojt6zR9F2YgoEb8c-QAAANU&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[8] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YKt5Ojt6zR9F2YgoEb8c-QAAANU&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[9] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33YKt5Ojt6zR9F2YgoEb8c-QAAANU&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[10] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TVs2lWk_GI
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2021/05/12/virgin_galactic_issues/
[12] https://www.theregister.com/2021/02/26/bezos_and_branson/
[13] https://www.theregister.com/2020/07/29/virgin_galactic_unveils_cabin_design/
[14] https://www.theregister.com/2020/06/26/first_spacewalking_tourist/
[15] https://www.virgingalactic.com/register
[16] https://www.theregister.com/2021/05/20/blue_origin_price/
[17] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Well done, one and all
John Jennings
This solution has great promise
The problem its solving, of course, is to part really wealthy people from their money!
Seriously, though
Space is hard, and this as a future model for LEO is perhaps ultimately the most efficient method for getting junk up there.
While the spaceship One cant do LEO, the techniques might ultimately deliver a truly routine method to do so with Launcher One.
I thought space was 100km?
Blergh
Have they moved the Kármán line?
Should they not have gone another 11km before they proffer these space firsts?
I still think it's great they are doing this. It's just a shame it has taken them so long to get to this point, even if I fully accept that space is hard.
Re: I thought space was 100km?
Greybearded old scrote
Only Virgin have, reverting to the old US Air Force definition. I suspect their ship is a tad overweight.
Space operators' Licences
Lotaresco
"The flight also collected data needed for the company to obtain its FAA commercial reusable spacecraft operator’s license"
I suppose it's a sign that space travel is maturing that we now have a commercial reusable spacecraft operator's licence. I recall the good old days when teenagers were free to build an antigrav device in their bedroom and set out for Mars in a well insulated tea chest.(Welcome to Mars, James Blish, 1965)
Amazing
We are so close to real space travel
I hope it happens in my lifetime