CrunchGear » virgin galactic

Virgin Galactic’s Eve shows its goods to the public for the first time

Matt Burns — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 13:28:01 +0000

Somewhere in sleepy Wisconsin – actually in Oshkosh – Virgin Galactic displayed the mothership Eve to the general public for the very first time. The plane soared over thousands of people attending the Experimental Aircraft Association’s annual AirVenture convention and then landed so people could get a closer look. Chances are that this will be the first and last time many of these folks will see of the space rocket delivery system. Not everyone can pay for a trip into space like Sir Richard Branson. It’s a tad pricey.

Virgin Galactic Mothership Eve takes flight

Peter Ha — Mon, 04 May 2009 16:00:31 +0000

After testing delays last year, Virgin Galactic and Scaled Composites successfully took to the skies with the Mothership Eve at the SC testing site in the Mojave. Wired.com has the exclusive video, which isn’t anything special, but it’s nice to see Virgin is puttering right along. Hit the jump to check out the video.

via Wired

Video: WhiteKnightTwo takes flight

Arun Venkatesan — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 20:48:49 +0000

WhiteKnightTwo, the plane that will eventually launch Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo just took its maiden test flight and the videos are already up. Watch them and see how weird this plane looks. What if regular commercial aircraft looked like that thing? We could just put all the noisy kids and crying babies on one side and enjoy some peace and quiet on the other. Click on for the videos.

CrunchDeals: 30-minute space flight for $74,000

Doug Aamoth — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 15:00:00 +0000

A London banker named Per Wimmer will be taking a 30-minute space ride in XCOR’s “Lynx” two-seat suborbital space plane (see our previous coverage) in 2010. Los Angeles-based XCOR is offering relatively affordable space trips at around $74,000 a pop.

Wimmer has also purchased tickets on Virgin Galactic’s and Space Adventures’ first flights –also set to take off in 2010. Those tickets are about 50% and 25% more expensive, respectively, than XCOR’s.

Says Wimmer, “It will be a real race to see which of them goes up first – but if it is Xcor, I will become the first affordable space tourist.”

Daily Mail [via Newlaunches]

Virgin Galactic turns down $1 million offer to make porno in space

Peter Ha — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 18:15:23 +0000

What won’t the porn industry think of? Virgin Galactic president Will Whitehorn wouldn’t disclose who the studio is, but said the offer “was $1 million, up front, for a sex-in-space movie. That was money we had to refuse, I’m afraid.” Other than the logistical issues of making a porno in five-minutes, I doubt VG is bummed about losing $1 million. They already have $40 million in deposits thus far. Virgin Galactic will begin flights departing from New Mexico in 2009 or 2010.

You could always jump on board a Zero G flight for much less, but you won’t see Earth from outer space.

Virgin Galactic White Knight Two mothership flight delayed

Peter Ha — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 13:55:44 +0000

When Virgin unveiled the White Knight Two in late July we were told that test flights would begin in September, but that doesn’t appear to be true since it’s the 29th and President of Virgin Galactic Will Whitehorn basically says they’re delayed. But he does reassure us that test flights will happen this year and possibly within weeks.

“There have been various taxi trials outside the hangar already, but undertaken at night. The first flight trials will take place when we are ready and will definitely be this year and possibly within the next few weeks,” says Will Whitehorn, the suborbital spaceline’s president.

Commercial suborbital flights are still on track for 2010.

via The Reg

Interview: Rich Dancaster, soon to be Virgin Galactic space pilot

Peter Ha — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 17:55:47 +0000

Rich is apart of the Virgin America and Virgin Galactic exchange program that allows VA captains the opportunity to pilot the Virgin Galactic flights when they start in 2010. He’s pretty stoked to have been picked from the VA fleet and who wouldn’t be?! Rich has an extensive resume in aviation with over 16,000 hours clocked and he overlooked the testing for Virgin American flights before launch. There is no word on what the training will entail since it’s still in the early stages, but Rich is excited at the prospect of going up into space and says some of the training will involve flight simulators. He wasn’t notified before hand that he was one of few pilots chosen for the exchange program and found out when it was announced internally to the whole company.

Good luck, Rich. Save me a seat.

PS- Due to some technical difficulties resulting from live blogging in the Mojave, the video interview we took is FUBAR at the moment, but we’ll see what we can do to fix that once we get back to LAX.

White Knight 2 photo gallery

Peter Ha — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 17:05:34 +0000

Isn’t she beautiful?

Live from Virgin Galactic: We visit the White Knight 2

Peter Ha — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 15:18:11 +0000

I’ve just touched down in the Mojave and we’re all awaiting the unveiling of the White Knight 2. Buzz Aldrin is on hand as well as Sir Richard Branson’s parents. The White Knight 2 is the world’s largest all carbon composite aircraft with many of its composite materials having been used for the first time. It has a 140-foot wingspan that’s the longest single carbon composite aviation component ever manufactured. The WK2 is capable of a maximum of 50,000 ft and has the power, strength and moves to help train pilots for pre space-flight positive G forces and zero G training. Hit the jump for more info, images, and video.

Burt Rhutan of Scaled Composites is currently giving his shpeal about the WK2.

Richard Branson was inspired to go to space by Stephen Hawking’s speech that the human race needed to move out into space and do what we’ve been doing here on earth, but more efficiently.

Air testing will begin shortly.

We’ll be able to see the aurora borealis from the WK2.

There’s a secret spaceport near Barcelona where the WK2 will operate from Europe. There will also be spaceports in New Mexico and Asia.

Anyone can travel on Virgin Galactic regardless of health. Sir Richard’s father who will be 92 at launch will even be able to travel. It’s a suborbital flight so there are less Gs being forced onto passengers.

Someone is asking about the quality of food on the WK2. WTF?! I’d probably puke if they served food.

12 are being built.

Now they’re talking about some aircrafty terms that I know nothing about. Something about the entire spaceship being all composite.

We’ll all be able to experience weightlessness. Awesome. John will feel less fat! If only for a few seconds.

270 people, as of today, have made reservations and they all wanted to have the ability to float around.

The WK2 will carry six passengers and two pilots although it’s capable of holding up to 11 people. Sir Richard only wants window seats.

One fuselage will carry the pilots while the other will hold passengers.

The WK2 was christened “EVE” after his mother. She was one of the first intercontinental female flight attendants. The EVE is full of firsts and Branson’s mother will be one of the first on-board.

Everyone is running around trying to take photos of Branson and his mother. They just popped open a bottle of champagne. Xeni Jardin is wielding a folding chair.

The twin fuselage and central payload area configuration allow for easy access to WK2 and to the spaceship for passengers and crew; the design also aids operational efieciencies and turnaround times. WK2 will be able to support up to four daily space flights, is able to carry out both day and night time operations and is equipped with a package of hightly advanced avionics.

Branson to marry couple in space

Matt Hickey — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 16:13:30 +0000

I’m likely never going to get married, but if I ever do, I want to do as this couple is, in space.

Branson’s launching Virgin Galactic next year as the world’s first space tourism company, this much is known. But now he’s announced that on Galactic’s first flight, he’ll be personally officiating a wedding, the first ever human wedding off of Earth.

Now the pressure’s off me, so I can go back to being a sloppy bachelor.

Save those frequent flier miles, save $20,000 on your Virgin Galactic flight

Devin Coldewey — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 22:30:34 +0000

I actually am pretty sure that the people who can spend $2,000,000 on space tourism are a different demographic from the people who scrounge miles to get free tickets. And yet, Virgin Galactic is going to let you redeem 200,000 miles for a big 10% off that trip to space. Somehow I doubt they’re going to get a lot of takers on that offer, but it is a nice little taste of the future.

Use your air miles to fly to space with Virgin Atlantic [sic] [coolest-gadgets.com]

Virgin Galactic reveals SpaceShipTwo, plans open-source starships

Devin Coldewey — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 19:45:51 +0000

Burt Rutan and Richard Branson are doing their “deep pocketed space explorer” thing again. They’ve revealed the second version of their suborbital spacecraft, aptly called “SpaceShipTwo” and pictured above, presumably via a cell phone camera at the event. They also announced that the launch vehicle, “WhiteKnightTwo,” will be on an open architecture “like Linux.”

The GPL wasn’t designed with spaceships in mind, however, so they clarified that they will cooperate with anyone who wants to contribute to the design, and will gladly allow others to use components for their own purposes. Check out the link for ongoing coverage and more info about this awesome project.

Virgin Galactic unveils SpaceShipTwo; Plans open architecture spaceship [ZDNet]

Update: BBC has a better picture.