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Virgin Galactic goes faster than speed of sound in flight test

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Re: Virgin Galactic goes faster than speed of sound in flight test

#11

Post by rayiner »

PetrolMan wrote: post #3
rquantz wrote: post #2

Can anyone speak to the significance of this achievement, considering that reaching low earth orbit requires something like Mach 24?

I'm also quite curious. I wasn't really aware of this project but all in all this seems a lot less interesting than what SpaceX is working on. I know the two have very different goals but this seems like the touristy equivalent of the Mercury program.

Virgin Galactic is essentially the commercialization of the Spaceship One technology, which won the Ansari X-Prize. The two companies are focused on different by IMHO equally interesting areas. Space X is focused on heavy launch vehicles for commercial payloads while Virgin Galactic is focused on manned suborbital (and hopefully eventually orbital) travel.

Re: Virgin Galactic goes faster than speed of sound in flight test

#12

Post by melling »

youngtaff wrote: post #4
rquantz wrote: post #2

Can anyone speak to the significance of this achievement, considering that reaching low earth orbit requires something like Mach 24?

Branson is very good at 'blowing his own trumpet'. All he seems to doing on this project is providing money and grabbing as much publicity as he can, Burt Rutan's people seem to be the ones doing the real work.

Yes, fortunately most of us understand the importance of publicity when trying to build a new business, especially one where your clients aren't going on a ride at Disney World.

I'm sure Richard Branson understands Burt Rutan's contributions. He, however, needs to sell tickets.

Re: Virgin Galactic goes faster than speed of sound in flight test

#14

Post by sixothree »

youngtaff wrote: post #4
rquantz wrote: post #2

Can anyone speak to the significance of this achievement, considering that reaching low earth orbit requires something like Mach 24?

Branson is very good at 'blowing his own trumpet'. All he seems to doing on this project is providing money and grabbing as much publicity as he can, Burt Rutan's people seem to be the ones doing the real work.

I thought the pairing was a nice fit. They both have their place and it seems to work to their mutual benefit quite well.

Re: Virgin Galactic goes faster than speed of sound in flight test

#15

Post by salimmadjd »

I noticed the youtube video was removed? I wonder if it was a PR decision. Any ideas?

Also, I agree hitting speed of sound is not that of an achievement, but it' something given it wasn't bankrolled by limitless government funding. If they have any mishaps, their program is crashed. Where as government program can have many mishaps and it doesn't have the same impact as a consumer-oriented business.

Re: Virgin Galactic goes faster than speed of sound in flight test

#16

Post by btilly »

rayiner wrote: post #11
PetrolMan wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm also quite curious. I wasn't really aware of this project but all in all this seems a lot less interesting than what SpaceX is working on. I know the two have very different goals but this seems like the touristy equivalent of the Mercury program.

Virgin Galactic is essentially the commercialization of the Spaceship One technology, which won the Ansari X-Prize. The two companies are focused on different by IMHO equally interesting areas. Space X is focused on heavy launch vehicles for commercial payloads while Virgin Galactic is focused on manned suborbital (and hopefully eventually orbital) travel.

If you think that Space X is only about heavy launch for commercial payloads, you misunderstand what Space X is trying to do.

True, Space X has only been rated for delivering commercial cargo. But from the start their Dragon has had a crew configuration that holds 7 people. That's not just for show - they have plans to be human rated soon, and will start delivering passengers to the ISS.

Farther down the road, Elon in interviews has said that his road map includes transporting 80,000 people from Earth to Mars to start a colony. I do not know what time frame he intends this to happen in, but he's said repeatedly that he intends to be a passenger.

For Space X, delivering commercial payloads is a necessary first step similar to how Tesla needed to deliver sports cars on its way to proving the technology that they intend for a mass consumer car. According to people that I know who have worked at Space X, they ignored the Ansari X-Prize because the important engineering challenges aren't getting into space - that part is relatively easy - it is getting into space in a vehicle that will survive reentry at orbital speeds. I don't know if this belief is right, but if it is then Virgin Galactic is potentially headed down a technological dead end.

Re: Virgin Galactic goes faster than speed of sound in flight test

#17

Post by akie »

salimmadjd wrote: post #15

I noticed the youtube video was removed? I wonder if it was a PR decision. Any ideas? Also, I agree hitting speed of sound is not that of an achievement, but it' something given it wasn't bankrolled by limitless government funding. If they have any mishaps, their program is crashed. Where as government program can have many mishaps and it doesn't have the same impact as a consumer-oriented business.

I think it's just a mistake. The video is still available through their YouTube channel - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pln9JKEjFks

Re: Virgin Galactic goes faster than speed of sound in flight test

#18

Post by jbrowning »

akie wrote: post #17
salimmadjd wrote: post #15

I noticed the youtube video was removed? I wonder if it was a PR decision. Any ideas? Also, I agree hitting speed of sound is not that of an achievement, but it' something given it wasn't bankrolled by limitless government funding. If they have any mishaps, their program is crashed. Where as government program can have many mishaps and it doesn't have the same impact as a consumer-oriented business.

I think it's just a mistake. The video is still available through their YouTube channel - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pln9JKEjFks

That drop from the mothership seems like it would make a few people sick. :)

Re: Virgin Galactic goes faster than speed of sound in flight test

#19

Post by VLM »

rquantz wrote: post #2

Can anyone speak to the significance of this achievement, considering that reaching low earth orbit requires something like Mach 24?

I think you're looking for the 666 rule which I can't find a link to, but its an engineering rough estimate that mach 6 at 60 kft is 6% of the way to orbit (from an energy perspective). It comes up a lot in back of the envelope type debates about overall system / stage design and performance. Note that 6% of the way to orbit sounds pitiful for a first stage but it actually has a pretty big effect on available payload and nozzle design of the second stage and reusability of the first stage and all that. SSTO is tough, but sticking something close to a SSTO on top of a 666 booster helps a surprising amount.

On the other hand in aerospace its unusual to bolt the first prototype together then just punch it and see what happens, like a drag racer driver. Smallest reasonable steps and all that.

Re: Virgin Galactic goes faster than speed of sound in flight test

#20

Post by carbocation »

Maybe the physics or the finances aren't there, but I would imagine that an excellent use for sub-orbital near-spaceflight would be to get between two distant cities (Tokyo and London) extremely quickly. Virgin Galactic would seem to be poised to execute on this, if there is a market for it.
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