SpaceShipTwo

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https://tass.ru/kosmos/5652853

9 ОКТ, 13:08

Брэнсон заявил, что его корабль совершит суборбитальный полет в ближайшие недели

Британский миллиардер отметил, что многие хотели бы стать астронавтами и совершить полет в космос

ТАСС, 9 октября. Британский миллиардер Ричард Брэнсон заявил во вторник, что созданный его компанией Virgin Galactic космический корабль совершит первый суборбитальный полет в течение нескольких недель.

"Мы должны совершить полет в ближайшие недели, а не месяцы. Затем я сам полечу в космос в ближайшие месяцы, а не годы. И вскоре после этого мы начнем отправлять в космос других людей. Ближайшие пару месяцев будут для нас очень захватывающими", - сказал он в интервью телекомпании CNBC, которое дал в Сингапуре.

На вопрос, будет ли достаточным спрос на суборбитальные или орбитальные туристические полеты, Брэнсон ответил: "Если бы сейчас в комнате вместе со мной находились 10 человек, то восемь из них изъявили бы желание отправиться в космос при условии, что это будет им по карману".

"Я думаю, что многие хотели бы стать астронавтами и совершить полет в космос. И нам нужно построить как можно больше кораблей, чтобы мы могли удовлетворить такой спрос", - добавил предприниматель.

CNBC напомнила, что Брэнсон вложил сотни миллионов долларов в разработку космического корабля и одно время заявлял, что сам совершит полет в апреле 2018 года.

Virgin Galactic провела в конце мая 13-е испытание своего корабля SpaceShipTwo. Ожидается, что стоимость двухчасового полета, во время которого шесть пассажиров смогут увидеть Землю с высоты 100 км, составит около $250 тыс. Сотрудники компании утверждают, что продали уже свыше 650 билетов. Среди тех, кто изъявил желание отправиться на орбиту на этом корабле, - Леонардо Ди Каприо, Том Хэнкс и Анджелина Джоли.

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Jeff Foust‏ @jeff_foust 56 мин. назад

George Whitesides, Virgin Galactic: expect to see at least one more SpaceShipTwo flight before the end of the year.
#ISPCS2018


47 мин. назад

Whitesides: the key to opening space in increasing vehicle lifecycles. An airliner has a life of tens of thousands of cycles, a rocket one to "single digits". We want our vehicles to eventually reach a life of 1000s of cycles.
#ISPCS2018


41 мин. назад

Whitesides: we are at a tipping point for human spaceflight with the ability to soon send many more people to space. Feels like we've been there for a few years, but think it's true now.
#ISPCS2018


40 мин. назад

Whitesides, on Branson's "weeks, not months" comment: won't comment on specific schedules. We are entering a new phase of the flight test program, with longer engine burns.
#ISPCS2018


37 мин. назад

Whitesides, asked whether the $1B investment announced a year ago from a Saudi government fund had been finalized: we'll have more to say about that when we're ready. [so I guess no, it hasn't been finalized]
#ISPCS2018


34 мин. назад

Whitesides: we have 40-45 Virgin Galactic people in New Mexico. Expect that to eventually grow to 200 after flight operations get started at Spaceport America.
#ISPCS2018

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https://www.virgingalactic.com/articles/Virgin-Galactic-Flight-Test-Program-Update-SpaceShipTwo-Preparing-For-Fourth-Powered-Test-Flight/

DECEMBER 12, 2018

Virgin Galactic Flight Test Program Update - SpaceShipTwo Preparing For Fourth Powered Test Flight

Our SpaceShipTwo, VSS Unity, is entering the next stage of testing. During this phase of the flight program we will be expanding the envelope for altitude, air speed, loads, and thermal heating. We also plan to burn the rocket motor for durations which will see our pilots and spaceship reach space for the first time. Although this could happen as soon as Thursday morning, the nature of flight test means that it may take us a little longer to get to that milestone.  It has taken years of design and manufacturing work by The Spaceship Company to get to this exciting stage and has required testing of all the parts and subsystems that make up SpaceShipTwo.

Only once we had completed all vehicle ground testing did we take Unity airborne; first mated to her carrier aircraft and mobile "wind tunnel" VMS Eve, then through a series of glide tests and finally to the three successful rocket powered supersonic flights we completed this year.

Incremental flight test programs are by definition open-ended and, to a great extent, each test depends on the data fr om the test that precedes it. There is no guarantee that everything will work perfectly first time and, like all programs seeking to take bold steps, we will inevitably have times when things don't go as planned. Our team's biggest priority is to use meticulous planning and preparation to ensure that stages are dealt with safely, and that every outcome informs and improves future performance.

In any human spaceflight program there is a high level of attention paid to crew safety—including not only what happens when everything is going as planned, but also when something unexpected occurs at any stage of flight. At Virgin Galactic, this approach is brought sharply into focus by the fact that SpaceShipTwo is crewed by two pilots. This means that circumstances may require the team to cancel or change plans either before take-off or in-flight in order to bring our pilots and the spaceship home safely. None of this though, takes away the excitement, anticipation and great pride of being at the vanguard of a new space age and of history in the making.

FOURTH ROCKET POWERED TEST FLIGHT GOALS

So, what are the plans for the next flight? Our window for our fourth powered test flight opens on December 13, 2018. We are currently planning to fly at the opening of that window on Thursday, pending acceptable weather and technical readiness. Overall the goal of this flight is to fly higher and faster than previous flights. We plan to burn the rocket motor for longer than we ever have in flight before, but not to its full duration. At the end stages of the rocket burn in the thin air of the mesosphere and with the speeds that we expect to achieve, additional altitude is added rapidly. That results in new and important data points, particularly relating to supersonic handling qualities and thermal dynamics, both of which we will be watching closely in the cockpit and on the ground in Mission Control. These observations will largely determine at what stage we decide to shut the rocket motor down. If all goes to plan our pilots will experience an extended period of micro-gravity as VSS Unity coasts to apogee, although – being pilots – they will remain securely strapped in throughout. They should also have some pretty spectacular views which we look forward to sharing as soon as possible post flight.

We are at a stage now in our testing program wh ere we want to start simulating the commercial weight distribution in the spaceship represented by our future passengers. Excitingly, we are partly achieving that on the next flight by carrying four research payloads that are part of the NASA Flight Opportunities Program.

Whether we complete all our objectives during the next flight or need to wait a little longer, we remain committed to completing the final stages of this extraordinary flight test program as quickly, but more importantly as safely, as possible.

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Virgin Galactic‏Подлинная учетная запись @virgingalactic

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SpaceShipTwo, welcome to space.


8:02 - 13 дек. 2018 г.

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Virgin Galactic‏Подлинная учетная запись @virgingalactic 7:09 - 13 дек. 2018 г.

Engines have started on our mothership WhiteKnightTwo and we're preparing for take-off.


7:12 - 13 дек. 2018 г.

Take off! WhiteKnightTwo and SpaceShipTwo have taken to the skies as our team watch on below.


7:13 - 13 дек. 2018 г.

Today is flight number 261 for WhiteKnightTwo and number 15 for SpaceShipTwo Unity


7:27 - 13 дек. 2018 г.

WhiteKnightTwo and SpaceShipTwo now at 30,000ft and conducting routine cabin checks


7:28 - 13 дек. 2018 г.

Cabin checks complete. Results are good


7:44 - 13 дек. 2018 г.

WhiteKnightTwo and SpaceShipTwo are at 43,000ft. We have completed Mission Control critical comms checks and continue to rise.


7:59 - 13 дек. 2018 г.

Mission Control has reported that we are go for release

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Virgin Galactic‏Подлинная учетная запись @virgingalactic 8:00 - 13 дек. 2018 г.

SpaceShipTwo's rocket motor has been ignited by our pilots Mark 'Forger' Stucky and C.J Sturckow


8:00 - 13 дек. 2018 г.

SpaceShipTwo at Mach 1.4


8:00 - 13 дек. 2018 г.

Mach 2.5


8:00 - 13 дек. 2018 г.

Rocket motor has been shut down. SpaceShipTwo continues to travel upwards


8:00 - 13 дек. 2018 г.

Mach 2.9


8:01 - 13 дек. 2018 г.

SpaceShipTwo enters coast phase. Tail-booms raised into "feathered" re-entry position


8:01 - 13 дек. 2018 г.

250,000 ft and rising


8:02 - 13 дек. 2018 г.

SpaceShipTwo, welcome to space

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Virgin Galactic‏Подлинная учетная запись @virgingalactic 8:03 - 13 дек. 2018 г.

SpaceShipTwo begins descent


8:05 - 13 дек. 2018 г.

55,000ft starting to retract the feather


8:05 - 13 дек. 2018 г.

SpaceShipTwo feather is down and locked


8:12 - 13 дек. 2018 г.

Landing gear down and locked


8:14 - 13 дек. 2018 г.

Touch down, SpaceShipTwo


8:15 - 13 дек. 2018 г.

Wheel stop, SpaceShipTwo. Welcome back to Earth

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Virgin Galactic‏Подлинная учетная запись @virgingalactic 8:21 - 13 дек. 2018 г.

SpaceShipTwo reached:

51.4m
271,268ft
82.7km


8:24 - 13 дек. 2018 г.

Our rocket motor burned for 60 seconds taking us to a 271,268 space apogee

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Virgin Galactic‏Подлинная учетная запись @virgingalactic 8:48 - 13 дек. 2018 г.

SpaceShipTwo returns from space

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Jack Beyer‏ @thejackbeyer 8:39 - 13 дек. 2018 г.

60 second burn. Mach 2.9. Apogee of 51.4 miles or 271,268ft (82.7km). A sonic boom or two and a picture perfect landing.

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[zandr]

https://tass.ru/kosmos/5910771

Virgin Galactic заявила, что ее туристический корабль впервые достиг "космической высоты"
НЬЮ-ЙОРК, 13 декабря. /ТАСС/. Американская компания Virgin Galactic провела в четверг испытание туристического суборбитального космического корабля SpaceShipTwo модели Unity, он впервые поднялся на высоту 82,7 км.
Об этом сообщается в Twitter компании.
Самолет-носитель поднялся в воздух над пустыней Мохаве (штат Калифорния). SpaceShipTwo отделился от него на высоте около 14 км, после чего пилоты корабля запустили ракетный двигатель. После этого, как уточнили в компании, корабль достиг высоты 82,7 км.

SpaceShipTwo reached:
51.4m
271,268ft
82.7km
— Virgin Galactic (@virgingalactic) 13 декабря 2018 г.

Как отмечалось в заявлении Virgin Galactic, распространенном перед испытаниями, во время теста корабль должен был "впервые достичь космической высоты". В компании ранее уточняли, что, как и ВВС США, подразумевают под этим высоту около 80 км.
Во многих других странах космическим полетом считается тот, который проходит на высоте свыше 100 км.

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https://www.virgingalactic.com/articles/first-space-flight/

DECEMBER 13, 2018

Richard Branson Welcomes Astronauts Home from Virgin Galactic's Historic First Spaceflight

History has been made and a long-anticipated dream realised in Mojave, CA, today as Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo, VSS Unity, landed from her maiden spaceflight to cheers from Richard Branson and the teams from Virgin Galactic and The Spaceship Company.

Not only is this the first human spaceflight to be launched from American soil since the final Space Shuttle mission in 2011, but the very first time that a crewed vehicle built for commercial, passenger service, has reached space.

The historic achievement has been recognised by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) who announced today that early next year they will present pilots Mark "Forger" Stucky and Frederick "CJ" Sturckow with FAA Commercial Astronaut Wings at a ceremony in Washington DC. CJ, as a four-time Space Shuttle pilot, will become the only person to have been awarded NASA and FAA wings.

Today's accomplishment has also been recognised by the NASA Flight Opportunities Program, which flew four space science and technology experiments on VSS Unity, making this Virgin Galactic's first revenue generating flight.

The spectacular spaceflight, which was witnessed by a large crowd of staff and their families, as well as special guests and media, saw a 60 second planned rocket motor burn which propelled VSS Unity to almost three times the speed of sound and to an apogee of 51.4 miles.

As VSS Unity coasted upwards through the black sky and into space, Virgin Galactic Mission Control confirmed the news and congratulated the two astronaut pilots: " Unity, Welcome to Space".

After a Mach 2.5 supersonic re-entry into the atmosphere, which utilised Unity's unique "feathering" configuration, Forger and CJ guided the spaceship down to a smooth runway landing and an emotional homecoming welcome.

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Commenting from the flight line Richard Branson said: "Many of you will know how important the dream of space travel is to me personally. Ever since I watched the moon landings as a child I have looked up to the skies with wonder. We started Virgin nearly 50 years ago dreaming big and loving a challenge. Today, as I stood among a truly remarkable group of people with our eyes on the stars, we saw our biggest dream and our toughest challenge to date fulfilled. It was an indescribable feeling: joy, relief, exhilaration and anticipation for what is yet to come.

"Today, for the first time in history, a crewed spaceship, built to carry private passengers, reached space. Today we completed our first revenue generating flight and our pilots earned their Commercial Astronaut Wings. Today, we have shown that Virgin Galactic really can open space to change the world for good. We will now push on with the remaining portion of our flight test program, which will see the rocket motor burn for longer and VSS Unity fly still faster and higher towards giving thousands of private astronauts an experience which provides a new, planetary perspective to our relationship with the Earth and the cosmos. This is a momentous day and I could not be more proud of our teams who together have opened a new chapter of space exploration."

George Whitesides, CEO of Virgin Galactic and The Spaceship Company, said: "What we witnessed today is more compelling evidence that commercial space is set to become one of the twenty-first century's defining industries. Reusable vehicles built and operated by private companies are about to transform our business and personal lives in ways which are as yet hard to imagine. New enterprises are being created which will become hugely valuable, while enabling humanity to better manage some of its greatest future challenges. Today was a remarkable achievement brought about by the skill, dedication and support of our shareholders, staff, customers, partners and many other stakeholders. We extend our congratulations and thanks to each and every one of them."

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NASA‏Подлинная учетная запись @NASA 35 мин.35 минут назад

Congrats to @VirginGalactic on SpaceShipTwo successfully flying to suborbital space with our four @NASA_Technology payloads onboard. With a good rocket motor burn, the mission went beyond the 50-mile altitude target. Learn more about our tech onboard: https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/spacetech/flightopportunities/Four_NASA_Sponsored_Experiments_Set_to_Launch ...

https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/spacetech/flightopportunities/Four_NASA_Sponsored_Experiments_Set_to_Launch

Dec. 12, 2018

Four NASA-Sponsored Experiments Set to Launch on Virgin Galactic Spacecraft

Editor's Note: Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo successfully flew to suborbital space Dec. 13 with four NASA-supported technology payloads onboard. The rocket motor burned for 60 seconds, taking the piloted spacecraft and payloads beyond the mission's 50-mile altitude target.


Virgin Galactic's VSS Unity SpaceShipTwo conducted a supersonic test flight in July 2018.
Credits: Virgin Galactic

A winged spacecraft will soon take off with four NASA-supported technology experiments onboard. Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo will separate fr om the WhiteKnightTwo twin-fuselage carrier aircraft and continue its rocket-powered test flight.

The flight, scheduled for no earlier than Dec. 13, is Virgin Galactic's first mission for NASA. The agency's Flight Opportunities program helped the four experiments hitch a ride on SpaceShipTwo. The program purchased flight services, the accommodation and ride, fr om Virgin Galactic for the payloads. During the flight, the payloads will collect valuable data needed to mature the technologies for use on future missions.

"The anticipated addition of SpaceShipTwo to a growing list of commercial vehicles supporting suborbital research is exciting," said Ryan Dibley, Flight Opportunities campaign manager at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. "Inexpensive access to suborbital space greatly benefits the technology research and broader spaceflight communities."

NASA's investment in the growing suborbital space industry and strong economy in low-Earth orbit allows the agency to focus on farther horizons. NASA will venture forward to the Moon – this time to stay, in a measured, sustainable fashion - in order to develop new opportunities and prepare for astronauts to explore Mars.

The planned technology demonstrations onboard SpaceShipTwo could prove useful for exploration missions. For Principal Investigator Josh Colwell at the University of Central Florida in Orlando, the Virgin Galactic flight will help further refine the Collisions Into Dust Experiment (COLLIDE). The experiment aims to map the behavior of dust particles on planetary surfaces. Suborbital flights let Colwell and his team gather data useful for designing exploration architectures at the Moon, Mars and beyond.

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Video of the Physics of Regolith Impacts in Microgravity Experiment, or PRIME, to study the response of asteroidal or lunar regolith in reduced gravity conditions on parabolic airplane flights. The Collisions Into Dust Experiment, or COLLIDE, studies the same phenomena but with longer duration and better quality microgravity on a suborbital flight. Data collected onboard Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo will help the experiment obtain data from slower impacts as well as study the behavior of the regolith and ejecta after the impact.
Credits: Josh Colwell/University of Central Florida

The presence of dust on asteroids and moons with low surface gravity introduces challenges for both human and robotic missions. Particles can damage hardware and contaminate habitats. Understanding dust dynamics could help NASA design better tools and systems for exploration missions.

On this microgravity flight, COLLIDE will simulate the dusty surface of an asteroid and a surface impact. The experiment will collect high-quality video of the dust dispersing.

"We want to see how dust in microgravity behaves when it's disturbed. How fast will it fly around? How careful do you have to be to avoid disturbing the surface too much? If you have a hard landing and disturb the surface a lot, how long will you have to wait for the dust to clear?" Colwell explained.

Here on Earth, this isn't as much of a concern. Colwell explained that in space, wh ere the absence of gravity complicates every task at hand, such considerations are significant for mission planning.

"If you have a small dust disturbance and can work around it, great. If the dust particles have enough speed, they can contaminate and stick to equipment well above the surface, posing problems for safety as well as mission success," Colwell said.

COLLIDE data collected on its first to suborbital space, as well as data from a related experiment previously tested on NASA-sponsored parabolic aircraft flights, could help future human and robotic explorers throughout the solar system. The other technology payloads slated for the SpaceShipTwo flight are:

[/li]
• Microgravity Multi-Phase Flow Experiment for Suborbital Testing 
  NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston 
  Life support systems are an integral part of a deep space habitation capability. They typically include processes wh ere liquids and gases interact, therefore requiring special treatment in space. This two-phase system separates gas and liquid in microgravity. The technology could also be applied to in-situ resource utilization, power systems, propellant transfer and more.
• Validating Telemetric Imaging Hardware for Crew-Assisted and Crew-Autonomous Biological Imaging in Suborbital Applications
  University of Florida in Gainesville 
  In order to live in deep space, astronauts will have to grow their own food. This experiment studies how microgravity affects plant growth. The experiment uses a biological fluorescent imaging instrument designed to collect data on the biological response of a plant, or plant tissue.
• Vibration Isolation Platform 
  Controlled Dynamics Inc. in Huntington Beach, California 
  Spacecraft and payloads are subject to intense launch environments. This mounting interface for orbital and suborbital vehicles is designed to lessen disturbances on payloads during launch, re-entry and landing.
  

The Vibration Isolation Platform from Controlled Dynamics Inc. has completed five successful Flight Opportunities-sponsored flights on suborbital reusable launch vehicles (sRLVs). The scheduled flight on SpaceShipTwo will mark its sixth.
Credits: Controlled Dynamics Inc.

All four payloads are currently scheduled for future flight demonstrations, enabling researchers to gather additional data and mature their technologies.

About Flight Opportunities

The Flight Opportunities program is funded by NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate at the agency's Headquarters in Washington and managed at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. NASA's Ames Research Center in California's Silicon Valley manages the solicitation and selection of technologies to be tested and demonstrated on commercial flight vehicles.

Virgin Galactic and other U.S. commercial spaceflight providers are contracted to provide flight services to NASA for flight testing and technology demonstration. Researchers from academia and industry with concepts for exploration, commercial space applications or other space utilization technologies of potential interest to NASA can receive grants from the Flight Opportunities program to purchase suborbital flights from these and other U.S. commercial spaceflight providers. The next solicitation for potential payloads is anticipated for release in January 2019.

Clare Skelly
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-4273
clare.a.skelly@nasa.gov
Leslie Williams
Armstrong Flight Research Center, Edwards, Calif.
661-276-3893
leslie.a.williams@nasa.gov

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Last Updated: Dec. 13, 2018
Editor: Loura Hall

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https://spaceflightnow.com/2018/12/13/virgin-galactic-test-flight/

Virgin Galactic accomplishes milestone test flight to the edge of space
December 13, 2018 | Stephen Clark

EDITOR'S NOTE: Virgin Galactic successfully flew the SpaceShipTwo rocket plane to an altitude of more than 50 miles (80 kilometers) shortly after 11 a.m. EST (8 a.m. PST; 1600 GMT). Check back shortly for an updated story.


Virgin Mothership Eve (VMS Eve) mated to Virgin Spaceship Unity (VSS Unity) taxis out to the runway at the Mojave Air and Space Port in California ahead of a previous test flight. Credit: Virgin Galactic

Virgin Galactic is preparing to fly the SpaceShipTwo rocket plane to the edge of space for the first time Thursday on a test flight that will mark a major advancement in the company's long-sought ambition to begin regular commercial hops with space tourists.

The SpaceShipTwo vehicle, helmed by Virgin Galactic test pilots Mark "Forger" Stucky and Rick "C.J." Sturckow, will take off fr om the Mojave Air and Space Port in California as soon as 10 a.m. EST (7 a.m. PST; 1500 GMT) Thursday under a specially-designed four-engine carrier jet.

The jet-powered mothership, named VMS Eve, will take nearly an hour to climb to an altitude of more than 40,000 feet (about 13,000 meters) over the Mojave Desert, wh ere it will drop the SpaceShipTwo vehicle, christened VSS Unity. The rocket plane will free fall for a few seconds, then ignite its rear-mounted hybrid rocket motor to fire for up to 50 seconds, propelling Stucky and Sturckow to a target altitude of more than 50 miles (80 kilometers).

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In a press release Tuesday, Virgin Galactic — founded by billionaire entrepreneur Richard Branson — said the company was entering a new phase of testing on SpaceShipTwo, an upsized commercial version of the SpaceShipOne rocket plane that won the Ansari X Prize in 2004, becoming the first privately-funded spacecraft to carry a human to space.

"During this phase of the flight program we will be expanding the envelope for altitude, air speed, loads, and thermal heating," Virgin Galactic said in a statement. "We also plan to burn the rocket motor for durations which will see our pilots and spaceship reach a space altitude for the first time. Although this could happen as soon as the next flight, the nature of flight test means that it may take us a little longer to get to that milestone."

The SpaceShipTwo pilots could command the craft's rocket motor to shut down early in the event of a problem, cutting short Thursday's test flight.

The rocket plane has a length of around 60 feet (18 meters), and a wingspan of 27 feet (8 meters). Once the rocket-powered portion of the flight is completed, VSS Unity will coast to its maximum altitude, then Stucky and Sturckow will steer the craft for a glide back to a runway landing at Mojave Air and Space Port.

Virgin Galactic is not providing a live webcast of Thursday's flight, but the company is tweeting updates as events occur.

Stucky is a former U.S. Marine Corps and NASA test pilot, with more than 9,000 hours of flying time on a variety of aircraft, including the F-4, F-16 and F/A-18 fighter planes, along with a variant of the U-2 spy plane. Sturckow is a former NASA astronaut and a retired Marine Corps test pilot who flew on four space shuttle missions, and commanded two shuttle flights to assemble the International Space Station.

VSS Unity is the second SpaceShipTwo vehicle to be built, following the loss of the VSS Enterprise rocket plane in a fatal crash in 2014 that killed Michael Alsbury, the craft's co-pilot. Lead pilot Peter Siebold parachuted back to the ground after a harrowing fall from the stratosphere when VSS Enterprise lost control and broke apart moments after igniting its rocket motor on an atmospheric test flight.

Engineers blamed pilot error for the accident, which occurred after Alsbury prematurely unlocked SpaceShipTwo's feathering system, twin tail booms that are used to re-orient the rocket plane and slow it down for descent back into the dense, lower layers of the atmosphere. While the pilots did not command the feathering system to engage, the air flow at the ship's altitude forced the booms to rotate toward their re-entry positions, leading to the craft's disintegration at an altitude of more than 50,000 feet.

The new SpaceShipTwo models, beginning with VSS Unity, have an added safety feature to prevent pilots from unlocking the tail fins too early.

Virgin Galactic, through it subsidiary The Spaceship Company, took over development and construction of subsequent SpaceShipTwo vehicles from Scaled Composites after the crash. VSS Unity made its first captive carry test flight underneath the VMS Eve mothership in 2016, followed by a series of unpowered glide flights and three rocket-powered tests beginning in April.

Once the test flight program is completed, Virgin Galactic plans to relocate operational SpaceShipTwo flights to Spaceport America facility in New Mexico. The SpaceShip company is building additional SpaceShipTwo vehicles to allow for a higher flight rate once commercial service begins.

Here is a list of the VSS Unity's powered test flights to date:

[/li]
• April 5: Apogee of 84,271 feet (25.7 kilometers); Top speed of Mach 1.87
• May 29: Apogee of 114,500 feet (34.3 kilometers); Top speed of Mach 1.9
• July 26: Apogee of 170,800 feet (52 kilometers); Top speed of Mach 2.47
  

SpaceShipTwo is designed to carry six passengers, along with two pilots, close to the boundary of space. Commercial flights of the vehicle are expected to fly to an altitude of at least 50 miles (80 kilometers). The U.S. Air Force and NASA awarded astronaut wings to pilots of the X-15 rocket plane who traveled to that altitude, but the Kármán line — the internationally-recognized boundary of space — lies at the 62-mile (100-kilometer) mark.


Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo fires its engine during a May 29 test flight. Credit: Virgin Galactic

But there has been a recent push to redefine the boundary of space to the lower 80-kilometer mark, and the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale, the world air sports governing body, announced Nov. 30 that it will reconsider the location of the boundary, which is useful for keeping scorecards and determining who and what vehicles have flown in space.

"In the last few years there have been many scientific and technical discussions around this demarcation line for the 'edge of space' and variance around this as a boundary condition for recognition of 'astronaut' status," the FAI said in a statement.

"Recently published analyses present a compelling scientific case for reduction in this altitude from 100 kilometers to 80 kilometers," the statement continued. "These analyses combine data/modeling from a number of differing perspectives (latitudinal variations during solar cycles, theoretical lift coefficients for different size/configuration satellites ranging from cubesats to the International Space Station, perigee/apogee elliptical analysis of actual satellite orbital lifetimes, etc.) to a level that has never been done before in relation to this issue."

The Kármán line is named for Theodore von Kármán, a pioneer in theoretical aerodynamics who co-founded the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

The recent analyses of the boundary of space "also provide an accurate overview of some of the historical arguments and inadvertent misrepresentations of Kármán's actual analyses and conclusions from over half a century ago," the FAI statement continued.

The air sports governing body said it would organize a workshop with the International Astronautical Federation in 2019 to "fully explore this issue with input and participation from the astrodynamics and astronautical community."

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[tnt22]

https://www.faa.gov/news/press_releases/news_story.cfm?newsId=23394

Press Release – Statement of FAA Acting Administrator Dan Elwell on Virgin Galactic's Successful Test Flight

For Immediate Release

December 13, 2018

We commend Virgin Galactic's successful test flight and return to space. Commercial space has great potential for American economic and innovative leadership. The FAA is committed to helping ensure commercial space transportation grows safely. We are pleased that Virgin Galactic is among the many pioneers of space flight helping write a new chapter in aerospace history.

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VSS Unity - First Suborbital Flight

SciNews

Опубликовано: 13 дек. 2018 г.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0-EokQLohQhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0-EokQLohQ (1:54)

[tnt22]

https://www.faa.gov/news/press_releases/news_story.cfm?newsId=23395

Press Release – Statement of FAA Assistant Administrator Bailey Edwards on the Successful Virgin Galactic Flight

For Immediate Release

December 13, 2018

Let me start by congratulating Virgin Galactic on a successful flight and return from space for the first time since 2004. We applaud your determination and pioneering spirit that delivered today's milestone flight.

This year, it seems that we continue to reach new milestones within an industry that truly seems to see no earthly bounds. If you're looking for the next big thing, commercial space is it. Safely growing this aerospace sector is a priority of President Trump, Vice President Pence and Transportation Secretary Chao who represents us with the President's National Space Council.

For us, we want to assure you that the FAA is committed to making sure that commercial space is safe. We're streamlining regulations to make these launches a daily occurrence.  Like the early days of aviation, these commercial space flights take grit and innovation—the very attributes it takes to blaze a trail for generations to follow. 

It's that grit and innovation we want to recognize. In 2004, we issued the first ever Commercial Astronaut Wings to SpaceShipOne pilots Mike Melvill and Brian Binnie. Today, on behalf of FAA Acting Administrator, Dan Elwell, I'd like to announce that with today's achievement, Mark (Stuckey) and CJ (Sturckow) have earned Astronaut Wings, and we'd like to invite you, Richard, George, Mark (Stuckey), CJ (Sturckow), and the SpaceShip2 and WhiteKnight2 teams to Washington, D.C., in the new year for Mark and CJ to receive their wings.

Congratulations once again and we look forward to seeing you all in soon to recognize today's achievement. Well done.

[zandr]

tnt22 пишет:
SciNews
 Опубликовано: 13 дек. 2018 г. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0-EokQLohQ

А что за "птички" полетели на высоте 80 км на 0:55 и 1:00 видео?

[tnt22]

Highlights of Virgin Galactic's first test flight to the edge of space

Stephen Clark

Опубликовано: 14 дек. 2018 г.

This video released by Virgin Galactic shows highlights from the first flight of the company's SpaceShipTwo rocket plane above an altitude of 50 miles (80 kilometers), a threshold recognized by the U.S. government as the boundary of space. The test flight with commercial astronauts Mark "Forger" Stucky and Rick "C.J." Sturckow took off and landed at Mojave Air and Space Port in California on Dec. 13, 2018. Video credit: Virgin Galactic

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2eVRjvgj38Ihttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2eVRjvgj38I (2:07)

[tnt22]

https://spaceflightnow.com/2018/12/14/video-and-photo-highlights-of-virgin-galactics-historic-spaceshiptwo-test-flight/

Video and photo highlights of Virgin Galactic's historic SpaceShipTwo test flight
December 14, 2018 | Stephen Clark

Check out video highlights released by Virgin Galactic of Thursday's test flight by the company's SpaceShipTwo rocket plane to an altitude of 271,000 feet (82.7 kilometers), above a boundary recognized by the U.S. government as the edge of space.

Спойлер

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2eVRjvgj38I
The air-dropped rocket plane took off from Mojave Air and Space Port in California under a four-engine carrier jet shortly after 7 a.m. PST (10 a.m. EST; 1500 GMT) Thursday and climbed to an altitude of 43,000 feet (13,100 meters). Piloted by Mark "Forger" Stucky and Rick "C.J." Sturckow, the SpaceShipTwo vehicle released from its mothership and fired a hybrid rocket motor nearly 60 seconds to accelerate to Mach 2.9 — nearly three times the speed of sound — and soar to an altitude of 51 miles.

It was the first time Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo, intended to carry space tourists on brief hops to the edge of space, has flown above the 50-mile mark, a threshold recognized by the U.S. Air Force, NASA and the Federal Aviation Administration as the boundary of space.
...

Virgin Galactic test pilot Mark Stucky walks out of the hangar at Mojave Air and Space Port ahead of Thursday's flight. Credit: Virgin Galactic


Virgin Galactic test pilot Rick "C.J." Sturckow prepares for Thursday's flight. Credit: Virgin Galactic


Virgin Galactic's carrier aircraft, VMS Eve, takes off from Mojave Air and Space Port, California, with the VSS Unity SpaceShipTwo vehicle underneath. Credit: Virgin Galactic


Credit: Gene Blevins/LA Daily News/SCNG


Credit: Gene Blevins/LA Daily News/SCNG


Credit: Gene Blevins/LA Daily News/SCNG


Credit: Gene Blevins/LA Daily News/SCNG


Credit: Gene Blevins/LA Daily News/SCNG


Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo rocket plane fires toward space Thursday. Credit: MarsScientific.com & Trumbull Studios / Virgin Galactic


This view of the Sierra Nevada mountain range was captured by a camera on-board SpaceShipTwo. Credit: Virgin Galactic


A view from the cockpit of VSS Unity on Thursday's flight, showing part of Southern California's Pacific coastline. Credit: Virgin Galactic


VSS Unity glides back to Mojave Air and Space Port. Credit: Gene Blevins/LA Daily News/SCNG


Virgin Galactic's VSS Unity rocket plane glides to a landing at Mojave Air and Space Port to conclude Thursday's test flight. Credit: Gene Blevins/LA Daily News/SCNG


VSS Unity glides back to Mojave Air and Space Port. Credit: Gene Blevins/LA Daily News/SCNG


VSS Unity glides back to Mojave Air and Space Port. Credit: Virgin Galactic


Virgin Galactic's first two astronauts walk back to greet Richard Branson. Credit: Virgin Galactic


Richard Branson and Virgin Galactic's first two astronauts. Credit: Virgin Galactic

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