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NASA Charters Flights Aboard Virgin's SpaceShipTwo
Zothecula writes "Although Virgin Galactic is generally known as a space tourism company, it sees research experiments as a future mission segment and significant business opportunity. To this end, the company has signed a contract with NASA to provide up to three charter flights on its SpaceShipTwo suborbital spaceplane. The deal follows the curtain closing on the Space Shuttle program earlier this year and is part of NASA's Flight Opportunities Program, which is charged with providing reduced-gravity environments for research experiments while encouraging the emerging commercial space industry."
In related news, a 68,000-sq. ft. facility has opened in California that will assist in the assembly of SpaceShipTwo spaceplanes.
Before clicking, I misread "flight" for "fight". I was kinda hoping for a story about a zero-gravity fist fight between 2 astronauts.
When they ask, what was the moment that the US gave up. This will be the moment we remember. NASA having to charter flights to space, from a Private Company. When was it that, We the People, finally Deep Throated Corporations. It was then.
Our priorities as a nation are completely screwed up.
The military contracts jobs out all the time (think Halliburton). The results are mixed at best. This one feels more likely to be fair, cheaper, and successful, but I still have my doubts. As much heat as NASA catches for the flaws in its designs, space travel is VERY hard. I'm not sure Virgin can do it that much better.
Great warrior...hrmph! Wars not make one great.
In today's news, the nation which sent a man to the moon, but can no longer put a man into orbit, is buying tickets on stunt-planes to recreate the Mercury suborbital missions.
Apparently, we're back in 1961. 50 years of "progress".
Everybody gets what the majority deserves.
How do they build an aircraft hanger like that? Hundreds of feet on a side with no support columns and built by construction guys?
The planes in them seem believable, because they're made out of aerospace grade unobtanium by $50/hr expert machinists. You expect something with a pedigree like that to hold together.
However, the hangers are even bigger, made out of conventional "stuff" by good ole boys or illegals. The tension in the steel at the center of the door must be astounding...
"Science flies us to the moon. Religion flies us into buildings." - Victor Stenger
What more needs to be said?
that's not even pocket change for NASA... it's like the lint clinging to pocket change.
NASA employed an army of some 35,000 people to operate the space shuttle. Assuming each worker was paid $60,000 average, and another $40,000 in health benefits, pension, etc (i'm being WAAY conservative here), that amounts to...... well I donno maths but its in the umpteen billions. No wonder Burt Rutan called NASA "a job program, first and foremost".
Contrast that with SpaceX, which employs a few hundred people to run their Falcon program. Now you see why they can do things so much cheaper.
They have been purchasing airplanes from private companies to perform low gravity training/experiments for decades. First they used a Convair C-131 then a Boeing KC-135 then a McDonnell Douglas C-9, and now a Scaled Composites SpaceShipTwo. Building airplanes isn't in NASA's mission or goals, so I don't see why using an existing commercial solution is any different than using commercial toilet paper in their offices.
they're miffed that their airship hangers - which were orders of magnitude bigger than this and could withstand 100mph hurricane winds - aren't gettnig any respect.
NASA's job is to implement the laws written by Congress. These laws state that NASA is not supposed to do things with government employees that can be done with private companies. So if a private company can do the job the government should stop doing it and hire it out. This has already happened with the vomit comet. http://www.gozerog.com/
It is good news Private corporations are active in space.
First and foremost- this makes the government somewhat accountable. If the government(s) has(have) a monopoly on space they can get away with activities we may not want them to.
As the technology evolves we will require both public and private activity (new technologies often require the ingenuity of the private sector built on the foundations of the public sector). Ironically- the roles seem reversed here- but I suspect the same will hold true.
"That's the way to do it" - Punch
Everything NASA has ever flown was manufactured by private contractors. NASA designed a lot of it the contractors designed some of it but built it all.
As other posters have said, almost everything these newbies ( SpaceX, Scaled Composites, etc. ) are flying is all based upon the R&D done by NASA and given freely to these companies.
NASA administered, QA'd, supervised and launched ALL of the vehicles that have put people into orbit or on the moon and brought them home alive with very few exceptions.
Private companies are now launching Satellites and their record is not nearly as good as NASA's but it is getting there, but again riding on the backs of the R&D done by, wait for it..... YOUR TAX MONEY.
So while all of this is happening, are YOU getting a dividend check? Nope. What IS going to happen is that they are going to follow the current Unfettered Capitalism model of paying the least they can, running safety margins razor thin and making a few people really rich and everyone else getting their jobs off-shored as soon as the technology is stable enough.
When it is time to go to MARS or to the nearest star do you really think that private companies are going to fund that? If you do, then you seriously need to get a reality check because that is a seriously long term investment and the ROI is more then likely going to be non-existent for decades and there is not a company that is public that will do that simply because the "Free Market" wont stand for it.
The next big things are going to be done by Governments because that is where the will and resources to do these things comes from and it is political leaders who will sell it to the American, Japanese, French, British and possibly even the Russian people.
Hey KID! Yeah you, get the fuck off my lawn!
Actually, space tourism has been the dominant form of American space flight for more than 20 years.