SPACESHIPTWO, the first private spaceship in history (of the Virgin Group) successfully underwent a manned free flight, at an altitude of 13,700 meters
SPACESHIPTWO; the first private spaceship in history (of the Virgin Group) successfully underwent a manned free flight, at an altitude of 13,700 meters. During a first experiment of its kind, which is no less than a historic event, the spacecraft soared in the air for 11 minutes, with two pilots on board - Pete Siebold and Mick Ellsbury, and landed safely on its home track in the Mojave Desert in California. And in Israel, preparations are progressing for the sale of tickets for space flights
Virgin Galactic, a subsidiary of the global concern Virgin, which develops private spacecraft for commercial and tourist purposes, announced tonight the successful completion of the first manned free test flight of the first private spaceship of the SpaceShipTwo model, which it received from Virgin's owner, the billionaire Sir Richard Branson, the meaningful name Enterprise.
The test flight was designed to examine two key milestones in a safe flight into space: a clean release of the spacecraft from the special aircraft that carries it up to launch height into space (a unique strategy developed to save on launch costs), and to examine the functioning of the spacecraft and its pilots during "free flight" - that is, hovering without using in engines. For 11 minutes, the pilots of the spacecraft, which was built as a lander capable of flying at the highest altitude in the world, without the use of engines, until they completed a soft and successful landing in the Mojave Desert.
Virgin Galactic has already charged 370 customers advance fees for a plane ticket to space, with a cumulative value of about 50 million dollars. These days the company is preparing for the inauguration ceremony of the spacecraft's runway, "Spaceport America" in New Mexico, on October 22, 2010.
And in Israel, the preparations for flying Israeli space tourists on Virgin Galactic flights are progressing, when the Israeli company "Galactic Dreamlines", the official franchisee of Virgin Galactic in Israel, is preparing to start selling flight tickets. "The many test flights show the great importance that Virgin attaches to aviation safety, which is at the top of the company's agenda. We will start the commercial flights only after we are sure that we can take care of the safety of our customers. The worldwide increase in the number of customers approaching 400 shows the potential and appeal of space tourism, which will undoubtedly develop greatly in the coming decade," said Eliron Yaron, CEO of "Galactic Dreamlines", who was among dozens of Virgin franchisees who watched the flight in a special webcast.
Sir Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group, who was present during the successful flight, added “It was one of the most exciting days in the entire history of Virgin. For the first time since we started the project in 2004, I watched the world's first manned commercial spacecraft land on orbit and it was a big moment. Now, the sky is no longer the limit and we begin the process of pushing beyond the final frontier of space itself next year. "
15 תגובות
1-The billionaire is not anti-Semitic, why do you think that anyone swimming in money is anti-Semitic?
2- What is the connection between a space shuttle and God? It is not as if God really exists and it will hurt him if the shuttle passes through him.
To 10 - everything and its purpose. Gemini was a two-seater spacecraft that circled the Earth, the target was the Moon. And this space plane continues the competition of touching space twice and returning, only this time with six passengers. It's a bit like climbing Everest in two hours, the sight is special, and not many get to see it.
But this is a modest beginning for a promising continuation.
Furthermore, before writing such a title, the possibility that life on other planets has private spaceships must be taken into account.
How does the writer of the title know that 20 thousand years ago there was no private spaceship?
The friction surface on the track that replaces the front wheel is for braking (saving a heavy brake system...)
Is it true that even the Gemini spacecraft from 1963 reached higher than this thing?
All in all, building a body that is not a sphere or a capsule that will enter the atmosphere from the void is a very honorable task. Only the Americans dealt with it, the Russians ran out of money and desire after only one test [their shuttle] and they were left with safe Soyuz technology which is almost a rock and a parachute.
A plane with wings and a tail like that, it's a very interesting business. Let's hope that the continuation will be successful!
Doron.
A. 13 km is the height at which the plane was released in the first test flight. The space plane returns from the flight to 100 km gliding without an engine, so in fact this flight was the first flight test that "rode" at the end of the flight profile [for which the plane was intended]
B. 100 km is the limit of space, it is outside the upper parts of the atmosphere. At these high altitudes there is no air for the wings of the plane, and it flies like a spaceship [for a while] all the steering is not aerodynamic, it is done by gas jets [small engines] located in different parts of the plane.
third. The nose wheel really looks strange, in fact the whole thing is very soft, it's not the shuttle that looks like a heavy truck on the way to space. The payload of this space plane is 8 people, that's about 800 kg. Everything is built to save weight.
Doron
I saw the video, interesting, why is the nose wheel of this plane so thin? It looks like the bow is sitting on a front pole that has no wheel... strange.
I don't understand exactly where the big breakthrough is, the plane/spacecraft in question flies at a total height of 13 km, which is roughly the flight height of a standard Boeing 747 passenger plane, it is light years away from the height that is considered the limit of space, which is 100 km above the ground. So what exactly is the fuss about and why is it even making headlines?
PS - Can anyone really confirm that Richard Branson is anti-Semitic??! This really surprises me because until now I really appreciated this man, I really hope it's not true...
Atara Liyoshana - Bor and the people of the land. It is said about you: There is no fool who fears sin, nor is the people of the land a follower. So how do you want to worship God? And besides - who grazes in foreign fields?
BSD
We are talking about declared anti-Semites - this Bronson is an idiot and a friend of Ahmadinejad.
With Israel he has the service of God and in this he should excel and not graze in the fields of the anti-Semitic Gentiles.
Is it really a space at an altitude of 100 km?
I was on their website, they are unable to write the name Israel, so they left the flag without a name
Oh, what elegant work, and what modesty of a slim private company. Let's hope that the continuation will be without unnecessary problems. It looks elegant, such a soft landing of the spacecraft.
http://www.virgingalactic.com/