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U.S. Okays Virgin Galactic Plans
Aron writes "Space.com reports that the U.S. Department of State's Directorate of Defense Trade Controls has approved collaboration of technical details between Scaled Composites of Mojave, California and Virgin Galactic of the United Kingdom to build passenger-carrying suborbital spaceliners. The next suborbital ship will be a nine person vessel." From the article: "Details about the new company were unveiled at the Experimental Aircraft Association's (EAA) AirVenture air show held July 25-31 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
The Spaceship Company will build a fleet of commercial suborbital spaceships and launch aircraft. Scaled Composites is to be under contract for research and development testing, as well as certification of a 9-person SpaceShipTwo (SS2) design, and a White Knight Two (WK2) mothership to be called Eve."
Does anyone have any details on how it will be launched?
1. Aim the pointy end at space.
2. Press the "Launch" button.
Toronto-area transit rider? Rate your ride.
From TFA: ... ?We are already in discussion with a number of states in the United States,? Whitehorn said
The location to produce the fleet of rocket planes is very likely to be Mojave, California. ?That?s where we expect to be in production,? Whitehorn said, although the takeoff site of Virgin Galactic?s public space trips is a different matter.
When they say "a number of states", I think the number is close to 1. Texas has laws on the books establishing "Spaceport Development Corporations" with the authority to levy taxes, and the three locations that have established these SDCs all have big advantages over anyplace else in the US:
* One is in the middle of nowhere, for early testing (which might include Things Blowing Up).
* One is an hour away from Houston, for when suborbital and orbital commercial flights become routine.
* One is not-too-far away and offers launching above water, for flights after "experimental" but before "routine".
For further reference, this Houston Chronicle article name-drops about everyone remotely involved in a private space project, from Amazon's Jeff Bezos to Carmack to Armadillo/Id Guy John Carmack.
Stressed? Me? Of course not. Stress is what a rubber band feels before it breaks, silly.
Since Virgin Galactic isn't a US company, the Department of Defense has a say in whether Scaled Composites can send them certain technological information, under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) (the same rules that make those crypto t-shirts "munitions").
It's not surprising that they passed, since VG is a British company, and the Brits are the good guys. Presumably some guarantees have been made that this isn't going to turn into plans for cruise missiles for Iranians.
So they haven't been given the go-ahead to fly, just to begin collaboration. They still have to come up with the actual spacecraft, and then there's a whole new set of approvals before they can fly the things.
So, who is going to be the first member of the sixty mile high club?
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"And on the right, you will see foam flying off."
Dance Dance Revolution.
1. Aim the pointy end at space.
2. Press the "Launch" button.
3. Profit!!!
australian project gutenberg is better than the original.
You might want to consider what they accomplished...
For a budget of about $20 million, they did three missions that approximately matched what Alan Shepard did. And...they got to keep the whole rocket.
And you really need to understand the human spirit...NASA ain't going away, but neither are the dreamers.