Virgin Galactic Shows the Finished WhiteKnight Two

Klaus Schmidt writes "Virgin Galactic today unveiled their WhiteKnight Two mothership, called 'EVE.' It is designed to carry the smaller SpaceShip Two into space. The rollout represents another major milestone in Virgin Galactic's quest to launch the world's first private, environmentally benign, space access system for people, payload and science. Christened 'EVE' in honor of Richard Branson's mother — Sir Richard performed the official naming ceremony — WK2 is both visually remarkable and represents ground-breaking aerospace technology. It is the world's largest all carbon composite aircraft and many of its component parts have been built using composite materials for the very first time. At 140 ft, the wing span is the longest single carbon composite aviation component ever manufactured."

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Article text

[RingDev]

The text came up fine for me, even most of the images were available after a few refreshes. TFA as follows:

(Virgin Galactic) - WhiteKnightTwo launch vehicle for SpaceShipTwo heralds a new era in aerospace fuel efficiency, performance and versatility

http://www.virgingalactic.com/pressftp/content/Presspacks/VMSeveBransonRutan_thumb.jpg

Mojave Air and Spaceport, California

Virgin Founder, Sir Richard Branson and SpaceShipOne designer, Burt Rutan, today pulled back the hangar doors on the new WhiteKnightTwo (WK2) carrier aircraft that will ferry SpaceShipTwo and thousands of private astronauts, science packages and payload on the first stage of the Virgin Galactic sub-orbital space experience.

http://www.virgingalactic.com/pressftp/content/Presspacks/VMS%20Eve%20tow_thumb.jpg

The rollout represents another major milestone in Virgin Galactic's quest to launch the world's first private, environmentally benign, space access system for people, payload and science.

http://www.virgingalactic.com/pressftp/content/Presspacks/In%20Air%20Banking_thumb.jpg

Christened "EVE" in honor of Sir Richard's mother, who performed the official naming ceremony, WK2 is both visually remarkable and represents ground-breaking aerospace technology. It is the world's largest all carbon composite aircraft and many of its component parts have been built using composite materials for the very first time. At 140 ft, the wing spar is the longest single carbon composite aviation component ever manufactured.

http://www.virgingalactic.com/pressftp/content/Presspacks/VMS%20Eve%20rollout_thumb.jpg

Driven by a demanding performance specification set by Virgin Galactic, WK2 has a unique heavy lift, high altitude capability and an open architecture driven design which provides for maximum versatility in the weight, mass and volume of its payload potential. It has the power, strength and maneuverability to provide for pre space-flight, positive G force and zero G astronaut training as well as a lift capability which is over 30% greater than that represented by a fully crewed SpaceShipTwo. The vehicle has a maximum altitude over 50,000 ft and its U.S. coast-to-coast range will allow the spaceship to be ferried on long duration flights.

http://www.virgingalactic.com/pressftp/content/Presspacks/VMS%20Eve%20bow_thumb.jpg

An all carbon composite vehicle of this size represents a giant leap for a material technology that has already been identified as a key contributor to the increasingly urgent requirement by the commercial aviation sector for dramatically more fuel efficient aircraft. Powered by four Pratt and Whitney PW308A engines, which are amongst the most powerful, economic and efficient available, WK2 is a mold breaker in carbon efficiency and the epitome of 21st century aerospace design and technology.

The twin fuselage and central payload area configuration allow for easy access to WK2 and to the spaceship for passengers and crew; the design also aids operational efficiencies and turnaround times. WK2 will be able to support up to four daily space flights, is able to carry out both day and night time operations and is equipped with a package of highly advanced avionics.

http://www.virgingalactic.com/pressftp/content/Presspacks/Galactic%20Girl_thumb.jpg

Large numbers of VIP's, media and more than 100 fully signed-up future Virgin Galactic astronauts flew into Mo

Re:Article text

[inviolet]

Christened "EVE" in honor of Sir Richard's mother, who performed the official naming ceremony, WK2 is both visually remarkable and represents ground-breaking aerospace technology. It is the world's largest all carbon composite aircraft and many of its component parts have been built using composite materials for the very first time. At 140 ft, the wing spar is the longest single carbon composite aviation component ever manufactured.

"Eve"?! Not only is that a boring name, but it overlooks some important aviation history that preceded this enormous aircraft. They should've named it "The Glass Goose" instead.

Re:Article text

[wizbit]

Remember that commercial aviation in its infancy was also prohibitively expensive for the average consumer and many people initially bought tickets solely for the thrill of riding in an aircraft. These "thrill" flights would usually depart and land at the same airport, a thought that is somewhat puzzling to all of us who rely on its completely pedestrian, utilitarian use today. Cost, needless to say, bottomed out, especially after deregulation.

That said, the commercial uses of present-day aviation are obvious. Space travel, especially LEO, strikes me as something that still needs a killer niche to succeed over the long-haul. And remember Concorde, which for many reasons (not the least of which was the rather high-profile crash, and which was even more susceptible to the post-9/11 drop-off in commercial aviation use) ultimately collapsed.

Passenger aviation is notoriously boom-bust. Eastern Airlines, TWA, the list of companies with obviously sustainable business models that collapsed anyway is a mile long.

Who knows what commercial application someone with a launch system like VG's could come up with? I hope we have another Boeing in the works, but I agree that as things currently stand, it's got a much greater chance of becoming another Concorde.

Re:slashdotted before first comment!

[demachina]

A couple of the pictures are on the Scaled composite web site.

Painted Windows???

[kidgenius]

Ok, one of the fuselages has real glass, the other has just black paint for windows. Why do this? Is it just a "looks" thing?

Re:Cool, but...

[Bureaucromancer]

He already has said that SpaceShip 3 will be orbital, although nothing else about such a vehicle. The tone of the annoucement was that it would happen if Galactic is succesful, but otherwise it really was just the intent. (http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2005/08/23/201097/spaceshipthree-poised-to-follow-if-ss2-succeeds.html) Dragon on the other hand is supposedly coming along nicely (not that they've shown anything publically). Supposedly that means Falcon 9 flies a demo flight early next year, and Dragon is up unmanned by the end of 2009. That's already delayed from Q4 08 and Q1 or 2 09 respectively, but we'll really have to see on this one. My impression is that Dragon will probably fly next year, but won't be manned for some time after that, might look a bit like the Shenzhou timeline in fact (though I don't expect flight to be only 1 a year). I suspect the project WILL be succesful though, if for no other reason than NASA will bail them out to make sure there is an American vehicle available from 2010/11 until Orion finally turns up. SpaceShipThree on the other hand could be a hell of a long way off without serious investment from Bransom et al or goverment.

Re:Cool, but...

[savuporo]

SpaceX Falcon launch is tenatively scheduled for this and next week with launch window closing on august 9th, some are saying its further delayed until end of August already. most up to date news here prolly

Non-slashdotted article

[martinmarv]

Flight article about the same thing

Re:slashdotted before first comment!

[TappedOut]

More, high-res pictures here http://www.virgingalactic.com/pressftp/