Virgin Galactic Update

I received an update from Vigin Galactic the other day (I am on the mailing list) and thought people would be interested in a couple of things it said.



So as yet no hardware has been produced but its still very early so no surprise there and it seems like we might have some hardware soon. Maybe by the end of the year or that might be wishful thinking on my part.



I hadn't heard about this, I thought they had retired SSO to the Smithsonian. I thought that White Knight was supposed to be doing some drop tests with the X-37, anyone know anything?

Ahh, you're a bit mixed up in your details. First, the SSO/WK team was always planned to show up at AirVenture; they fly and retire SSO to the ASM directly after that. Second, it's the Proteus that's flying the X-37 in Mojave. Keep in mind that the White Knight is a Proteus derivative.

Proteus was used to drop that t/Space test article. SS1 itself will likely be retired. White Knight was what carried the X-37 itself IIRC.

Did you just sign up for the Mailing list or you just received the update? Because this update is allready a few months old. Sigurd also posted this update a few weeks back on the news page as a "new" update. A lot of people seem to suffer from memory loss because a lot of people didn't notice it was the same old update.
I think White knight just won't do a drop test in the week in goes with SS1 to Oshkosh and the Smithsonian. It doesn't seem to require extensive modifications to fly the X-37 so i don't see a problem. Allready there seem to be some weeks between the different test flight with the X-37. So they won't have a problem finding the time to fly to Oshkosh.


You are mixing up i'm afraid. White Knight does the drop tests of the X-37. Take a look a this picture: http://www.mojaveweblog.com/photos/050621/scaled-x37-050621-34cr-8.jpg.
Proteus did the drop test of the T/Space booster model.

I signed up for their mailing list back last year. I got the update on 22 June while I was away on holiday lying on a beach (probably why I missed it being posted by Sigurd, sorry for that).

So SS1 will go on permanent display at the Smithsonian after Oshkosh?

Oh... Heh. Oops.

It's easy to get Proteus and White Knight confused--seeing both have all the rigidity of a wet noodle--just kidding Burt!.

Proteus is actually very strong.

The latest in light flight:

http://www.livescience.com/technology/0 ... plane.html

I like this and the new all hydrogen flyer Mac' has been flying in place of that (ERAST) Helios--now that thing really was flimsy!

Hi all,
Don't know if this is just regurgitated news but seems Virgin Galactic and Rutan are moving ahead.

www.space.com/news/050727_branson_rutan.html

Sounds good if accurate.

Beancounter from downunder.

Scaled and Virgin have received ITR clearance, according to a recent space.com story.
http://www.space.com/news/050815_virgin ... _itar.html
This clears the way to start building SS2.
And Virgin says they already have recieved nearly $10 million worth of deposits from future passengers!

Now they are getting some more of that REAL money--things should snowball. Once one group lays out that kind of dough--other folks with means take you a lot more seriously. I was beginning to think the X-prize was just going to be a flash in the pan.

Here's to proving me wrong. I hope it happens more often.

According to the article "Virgin Galactic Completes First-Phase Rocket Tests" ( www.space.com/missionlaunches/090528-sp ... -test.html ) they in between successfully fired the engine of SpaceShipTwo.

The article explicitl<talks about a latest series of tests.



Dipl.-Volkswirt (bdvb) Augustin (Political Economist)

If anyone hasnt yet seen it, here is the link to the White Knight Two Flight Test Summaries.

http://scaled.com/projects/t1b/logs-WK2.htm

Here is the latest update:

Objectives:
FAA Monitored flight for pilot "Type Rating"

Results:
Rating Issued

Couple of interesting articles recently:

VG have signed up (right behind XCor) contract for sub-orbital science investigatons and experiments.
http://www.virgingalactic.com/news/item ... -to-space/

Also notice there's now a bit more discussion around Concord-style intercontinental hops. That'd be exciting to see come to fruition. Sorry lost the article but I'll try to find and post later.

Cheers.