Space Tourism Rocket Failure

Witness' say that Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo exploded during a test flight.

In an ABC News release that the space tourism craft was released from its shepherding plane (that  is used to carry it to high altitude) ignited its rocket motor and then exploded seconds later.

Witnesses put the wreckage in the desert north of Mojave Air and Space Port.

CHP's report states that there was one fatality and one major injury.  (SpaceShipTwo is flown by two pilots.)

Virgin Galactic has said little more than to confirm the loss of the craft but has given no details.
More ABC US news 

Film of Virgin Galactic's Space Ship 2's Second Test Flight

On Sept. 5 at 8am, Virgin's White Knight 2 took off carrying Space Ship 2 for it's second powered test flight.

At 46,000 feet, pilots Mark Stucky and Clint Nichols released Space Ship 2 and fired their rocket engine, for a 20 second burn, a short time later.

During the burn they climbed to 69000 feet and attained a speed of 1.43 mach.

This flight was to test the engine of course but another facet of the unusual craft they wanted to put through it's paces was the movable tail section, which can be moved through 65 degrees of motion.  The purpose of which is to allow the ship to reenter the denser atmosphere and give the pilots a much easier controlled vehicle as it descends.   Where the tail can be rotated back to it's launch position for landing.

Virgin is still looking towards 2014 to begin flying passenger using a fleet of five Spaceship 2 type vehicles. 

Virgin Galactic 18 months away from first flight

According to France24 via Boing Boing: Richard Branson has gone on record recently as saying that Virgin Galactic is on track to offer commercial space travel within 18 months, and that space hotels are next on the drawing board.

Galactic has already collected 45 million dollars in deposits from more than 330 people who have reserved seats aboard the six-person craft. You will recall that full ticket prices start at 200k.

Of course Branson doesn't stop at just space hotels. From the France24 article

• "We are looking at hotels in space. We love the moon," the tycoon said, adding that he was also interested in launching "small satellites into space" for the benefit of schools and universities.

First Commercial Spacecraft Another Step Closer

Tim Sayell sends in this article from Yahoo News concerning Branson's Virgin Galactic - SpaceshipTwo.

Since Branson won the $10 million Ansari X Prize, we have been getting tantalizing hints as to what Branson and aviation designer Burt Rutan plan for commercial spaceflight.

Virgin unveiled White Knight Two a little over a year ago but only mockups and the shell of SpaceshipTwo has been seen. Now the first public appearance of the commercial passenger spacecraft has been held.

Virgin says that testing of SpaceshipTwo will begin next year with flights to the crafts maximum altitude sometime in 2011.

The first passengers of course will be the families of Branson and Rutan.

For more information - read the complete article here

***update*** here is a series of photos from Boing Boing that are exclusive! Very cool!

LaVerdiere's In Space!

Yep, there is going to be a LaVerdiere's in space. Now you have to be from Maine to understand the humor in this statement. Let me give you some background. Stephen LaVerdiere, a self proclaimed space nut from Belgrade Lakes Maine is paying $200,000 dollars to fly into space aboard Virgin Galactic's Space Ship Two. Stephen's claim to fame will be as the first native Mainer to fly into space. Now before we get cat calls that this isn't outspace and its not at orbital velocity that is true, but "space" is defined as any altitude above 62 miles, so 80 miles more than covers that bill.

But to fully understand the humor of a LaVerdiere's in space is to know that Mr. LaVerdiere is the former owner of a drugstore chain in Maine called....yep...LaVerdiere's...

The 52 year old LaVerdiere is scheduled to fly sometime next year and is a group of about 100 that have already signed up to go.

Good Luck Steve....don't forget your dramamine.... yeah, I went there...

Virgin Galactic's WhiteKnightTwo will take first flight soon

Thanks to Shaun Saunders for bringing this New-Scientist article to us:

Virgin Galactic's WhiteKnightTwo is set to take is maiden flight very soon. The flight will be the first of dozens planned for the high-altitude craft, which could become the first privately-owned vehicle to carry tourists on sub orbital flights that at their highest will have space tourists in free fall for several minutes. The high-altitude plane is designed to loft an eight-passenger craft called SpaceShipTwo to an altitude of 15 kilometres. There, the spaceship will detach from WhiteKnightTwo and fire a rocket to take passengers some 100 km above the Earth. the plane has passed engine and runway tests and taken small hops off the ground. Though White Knight two may look light weight, it is surprising to know its actual dimensions. The plane is comparable in size to Boeing's B-29 Superfortress, a heavy, long-range bomber that flew during World War II.

Though WhiteKnight/Spaceship Two have yet to finish a fairly rigorous schedule, The testing regime should still put the firm on track to take its first passengers to the edge of space as early as 2010.