Richard Branson uses two planes to make 170km round trip
- Reference: 1626066645
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2021/07/12/virgin_galactic_successful_crewed_flight/
- Source link:
The entrepreneur used two planes to make the trip. The first, an unusual twin-fuselage, four-engine affair named “VMS Eve” took off at around 10:40AM on Sunday, carrying the second plane, a rocket-propelled craft named “VSS Unity”, on a flight named “Spaceflight Unity 22” to denote the 22nd use of the two vehicles.
VMS Eve took a leisurely 50 minutes climbing beyond 50,000 feet (~16km) before releasing VSS Unity. Six seconds later, the latter’s rocket engine ignited and propelled the craft to a speed of Mach 3.5 and into a parabolic arc with an apogee of 53 miles (85km).
[1]
Among the images returned to Earth from the journey are the one below, depicting the view of VSS Unity’s tailcone from space.
[2]
The view from up there. Click to enlarge
The craft and crew of two, plus four passengers, briefly experienced weightlessness before gliding back to land at Southwest Regional Spaceport. The round trip took around 90 minutes.
[3]Beardy Branson bangs birds on Boeing
[4]Wanna feel old? It is 10 years since the Space Shuttle left the launchpad for the last time
[5]Jeff Bezos names the fourth person for the first New Shepard flight: Wally Funk
Virgin Galactic, the operator of the two craft, released a [6]document [PDF] ominously titled “Unity 22 Successful Flight Release 7.11.21” to mark the occasion.
“Today is a landmark achievement for the Company and a historic moment for the new commercial space industry,” said Virgin Galactic CEO Michael Colglazier. “With each successful mission we are paving the way for the next generation of astronauts.”
[7]
[8]
Branson celebrated the flight with the following tweet:
I was once a child with a dream looking up to the stars. Now I'm an adult in a spaceship looking down to our beautiful Earth. To the next generation of dreamers: if we can do this, just imagine what you can do [9]https://t.co/Wyzj0nOBgX [10]#Unity22 [11]@virgingalactic [12]pic.twitter.com/03EJmKiH8V — Richard Branson (@richardbranson) [13]July 11, 2021
Two days before take-off, the flights generated a green-eyed tweet from Blue Origin, the rocket company owned by billionaire former Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, who plans go on an even longer round trip later this week.
From the beginning, New Shepard was designed to fly above the Kármán line so none of our astronauts have an asterisk next to their name. For 96% of the world’s population, space begins 100 km up at the internationally recognized Kármán line. [14]pic.twitter.com/QRoufBIrUJ — Blue Origin (@blueorigin) [15]July 9, 2021
Bezos funded Blue Origin by selling Amazon stock, while Virgin Galactic has attracted numerous investors. Branson resides in the British Virgin Islands, a jurisdiction that the CIA [16]notes possesses a “large offshore financial center [that] makes it vulnerable to money laundering” and is widely regarded as a tax haven. ®
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[1] 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=2YOwSwXmb7mPBOqVbJPMYCwAAAMg&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[2] https://regmedia.co.uk/2021/07/12/handout_virgin_galactic_vss_unity_tailcone_view_from_space_unity22.jpg
[3] https://www.theregister.com/2015/12/04/beardy_branson_bangs_birds_on_boeing/
[4] https://www.theregister.com/2021/07/09/sts-135/
[5] https://www.theregister.com/2021/07/01/wally_funk_is_going_to_space/
[6] https://pressftp.virgingalactic.com/s/qwrnp55786jfh3kq4hfkg9
[7] 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=44YOwSwXmb7mPBOqVbJPMYCwAAAMg&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%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=3&c=33YOwSwXmb7mPBOqVbJPMYCwAAAMg&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[9] https://t.co/Wyzj0nOBgX
[10] https://twitter.com/hashtag/Unity22?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[11] https://twitter.com/virgingalactic?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[12] https://t.co/03EJmKiH8V
[13] https://twitter.com/richardbranson/status/1414289206717865984?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[14] https://t.co/QRoufBIrUJ
[15] https://twitter.com/blueorigin/status/1413521627116032001?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[16] https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/british-virgin-islands/
[17] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Re: Uses two planes...
And a bicycle.
The Guardian reports
Before take off, he arrived at the spaceport on a bicycle and greeted his crewmates with hugs. “It’s a beautiful day to go to space,” he tweeted.
Re: Uses two planes...
And a fleet of Range Rovers.
The article states that the Eve plane climbed to over 50,000 feet, in fact 46,000 feet was the separation altitude.
That tweet by Blue Origin is delicious. I don't particularly care for either of these clowns but at least the drama should be entertaining.
" For 96% of the world’s population, space begins..."
I'm sure 99% of the world population doesn't know where space begins, and probably doesn't care either...
I find that tweet from Blue Origins more than a little on the nose.
Surely, a congratulatory tweet (maybe with a slightly snide remark about the Virgin astronauts* if you really must), is what should have been done. Getting to space is hard work, and anyone getting there (or thereabouts) deserves respect.
Yes, Blue Origin are probably miffed that Beardy stole some of their limelight, but such a condescending tweet feels completely inappropriate. Leaves me with a pretty bad impression of the whole Blue Origin team...
Bezos did post a non-snarky, nice even, congratulatory tweet just after Branson's flight.
@Iglethal
I think the BO tweet says all you need to know about Bezos and his businesses.
What is the most telling, is that only by adding a 3rd column for SpaceX would the table show the relevant achievements of the competing teams in a more true light. Space is not that hard.. Orbit is.
..And I truly hope that Mr. Musk will not do anything like that. Those that need to know the difference already know.
And still, congratulations to all 3 teams for getting stagnant space moving again.
To be fair The Bearded One has another operation to do orbits…
https://virginorbit.com/
True, but he has yet to strap himself to one of those.
..Now that is one event that I would observe while enjoying my Popcorn.
Especially if he invited Bezos to join him.
Even Elon gave a congratulatory tweet.
If you even half believe Elon, he is genuinely motivated by commercialising space travel - towards eventual colonisation - rather than purely his own profits. Of course he's happy to profit too.
Multiple competing companies is surely a benefit to the industry anyway. Increases credibility and so on.
Miserable and small minded
What a shameful article.
One of the reasons Bezos has had the success he has had, is that America celebrates and supports success of it's citizens - even the ones who (like Bezos) manipulate the tax system to reduce their outgoings to a bare minimum.
To read an article where there is an apparent need to do anything to 'take the piss' of a hard won achievement is quite frankly unpleasant.
Grow up.
Re: Miserable and small minded
Branson is an egomaniacal chancer grown fat on Government subsidies.
Bezos has done well, you're right, and congratulations to him
However, it's payback time. People that hold that amount of wealth, and spend it on their whimsy, have no place in society.
It is 'yes' (wo)men like you that tow the line and let their behaviours persist.
Re: Miserable and small minded
Branson also makes out he was this poor student dropout who did everything off his own back.
He just forgets the part he had incredibly wealthy parents.
To qoute Pulp.
"But still you'll never get it right
'Cause when you're laid in bed at night
Watching 'roaches climb the wall
If you called your dad he could stop it all."
Re: America celebrates and supports success
Bezos also controls a lot of the media in the USA. Not quite as bad as 'Dear Rupert M' but his influence is everywhere.
His bought and paid for politicians will keep the Feds off his back allowing him to make even more money and treat his employees like chicken feed for longer.
the almighty dollar rules and the US gets the best laws that the most money can buy.
As Bezos has more $$$ than anyone else, he can afford to pay for the best laws that will allow Amazon to rape the world.
Re: Miserable and small minded
The "take the piss" element comes not from either company's achievement, but from their behaviour. No-one likes a sore loser, and BO taking a pop at Virgin saying "it's not real space!" is pretty bad sportsmanship. BO / Bezos have a bit of a history there, (I'm thinking of the slightly snarky "welcome to the club" tweet when SpaceX first successfully landed and recovered a Falcon 9 first stage from orbit.
I'm personally not a fan of Branson's abrupt reshuffling of schedules in order for him "to be first", but I can at least understand it.
You're right in one respect though. Both BO and Virgin Galactic have put in a lot of hard work to get this far. Space, even sub-orbital space, is hard. My congratulations to them, and I hope they take their success even further.
Re: Miserable and small minded
I think the fact Virgin Atlantic was asking the government for a bailout when Branson was pissing his money away on this, is the reason people take the piss.
The fact Bezo's Amazon are fighting its workers to have a right to be in a union and had posters all over one of their warehouses discouraging its workers from joining a union is why people take the piss.
The fact Bezo can more than afford to pay his warehouse workers decent wage but doesn't, is another reason to take the piss.
Very well done Sir Mr. Branson, a great achievement indeed!
I suppose the departure gate for paying passengers is now open!
A great achievement indeed, congratulations Burt Rutan!
Burt Rutan retired in 2010 and Virgin Galactic stopped working with Scaled Composites around 2014.
How time flies!
Still.. AFAIK the basic concept of the feathering wing was Rutan's brainchild
Not quite as high as a SR-71
A SR-71 reached 85Km, you would expect a rocket plane to get to a higher altitude than an air-breathing aircraft.
Re: Not quite as high as a SR-71
SR-71 made it up to 85,000 feet not kilometres.
That’s just under 26km.
Re: Not quite as high as a SR-71
Don't confuse feet with metres, please.... it's record altitude was [1]25 929 m (i.e. 85,069 feet)
[1] http://records.fai.org/general_aviation/aircraft.asp?id=779
Re: Not quite as high as a SR-71
Don't confuse feet with metres, please....
That's Lockheed Martin's job.
Re: Not quite as high as a SR-71
Ouch, that was a well-timed and effective burn.
Unlike...
Space Cadets
Yawn... man takes a short trip in an aircraft that goes slightly higher than most. Hardly Star Trek is it?
Re: Space Cadets
Maybe, if you get your “science” from Star Trek….
Re: Space Cadets
Star Trek invented the flip phone, the tablet, the voice activated computer. Star Trek IS science
;o)
I do like Star Trek though.
Re: Space Cadets
Taking humans deep into that environment in normal attire (OK, jumpsuits but nothing special about them, made by Under Armour), in a vehicle carrying its own oxidant because there is insufficient at that altitude is brilliant.
And the astonishing view. What was out of reach is now starting to come into reach and as a beginning I think it’s an exciting first step, and it’s about where the will lead.
"Taking humans deep into that environment"
"Deep"?? LOL!
Re: "Taking humans deep into that environment"
Yes, deep. What’s the problem? Weird.
Re: Space Cadets
*slightly* higher? Your average commercial aircraft flies at between 36000 and 43000 feet. That's 6.8 - 8.1 miles (or 10 - 13.1 km)......
Papa Elon
Papa Elon must have been watching with amusement at the 2 kids fighting it out.
On a more serious note, its good that there are more and more options to entering / exploring space.
Re: Papa Elon
When the news first broke of Bezos / Branson's intentions to ride their vehicles to space, I do wonder whether Elon Musk mulled over scheduling another Crew Dragon launch.
But then again, the Crew Dragon had already shown it could take people to orbit and back again. A human-rated launch costs a lot, takes up space in the launch manifest, and what would it prove to send Musk up there?
For both Branson and Bezos though, it's a chance to one-up the other, to show their own confidence in their vehicles (probably more important for Branson) and to show that sub-orbital space tourism is open.
All that way and all that money
Just to watch a Tesla Roadster floating way above you….*
* Not an electric Jesus fan boy
Re: All that way and all that money
You might get to see that Roadster in 2091 but it’s way out of the way on heliocentric travels for now.
Green?
Congratulations to the bearded one for his epic achievement.
How many virtu signalling green boasting celebs will be celebrating this achievement and have signed up for their own turn?
Jetting around the globe to tell us not to and then paying to directly pollute the upper atmosphere.
Re: Green?
They claim to have signed up over 600 customers. Which at $250,000 per equals a total revenue of $150m - or around 1/13th that of SpaceX (2018).
Re: Green?
Much like Emma Thompson did when she "jetted over from America" to be in the global warming demonstration :) ironic. I think they'd rather she give some funding (maybe she does) than create more pollution with her air travel.
Bring back Concorde - much more impressive.
Not really as much of an achievement as Concorde was 46 years ago.
Re: Bring back Concorde - much more impressive.
The combined throwaway budgets of two nations against the entrepreneurial endeavour of an individual? Not really a valid comparison.
Re: Bring back Concorde - much more impressive.
My thought as well, Branson could have invested in R&D for a new supersonic passenger jet and would probably make a lot more out of it than space 'tourism'.
Blue Origin "Design"
And if only someone had tapped the Blue Origin Engineers on the shoulder - "You do know we're gonna get ribbed for the look of this thing?"
Re: Blue Origin "Design"
Ribbed for passengers' pleasure?
Awaiting FlatTards....
I can wait to see what the Flat Earthers make of this one.... even the pictures out the window show the curvature...
Still Reality was never their strong point (or Science for that matter)
Having said that Branson is so obviously one of the Lizard People that they will find it easy to debunk.
Re: Awaiting FlatTards....
even the pictures out the window show the curvature...
Obviously an artifact of the curved window glass...
Uses two planes...
Ten out of ten for this article, Vultures!