Posted on 10/31/2014 12:10:31 PM PDT by BenLurkin
CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL SAYS ONE PERSON KILLED, ONE INJURED IN CRASH OF VIRGIN GALACTIC SPACECRAFT IN MOJAVE DESERT -CNN, CNBC
This is a breaking news story. Please check back for further updates. CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla., Oct 31 (Reuters) - A suborbital passenger spaceship being developed by Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic crashed during a test flight on Friday at the Mojave Air and Space Port in California, officials said. Two pilots were aboard the spaceship, which was undergoing its first powered test flight since January. It was not immediately known if they were able to parachute to safety.
More than 800 people have paid or put down deposits to fly aboard the spaceship, which is carried to an altitude of about 45,000 feet and released. The spaceship then fires its rocket motor to catapult it to about 62 miles (100 km) high, giving passengers a view of the planet set against the blackness of space and a few minutes of weightlessness.
The spaceship is based on a prototype, called SpaceShipOne, which 10 years ago won the $10 million Ansari X Prize for the first privately developed manned spacecraft to fly in space.
(Excerpt) Read more at msn.com ...
Are you saying that the travel is tested and as safe as, say, flying, or driving?
A pilot was killed today.
He is dead.
Not comically dead.
Dead.
Yeah...I felt horrible about that after posting. I don’t know what got into me (guess I hit keyboard before engaging brain).
Gravity is not very different between the ground and 35k feet. The term “Zero Gravity” in space is misleading. There is plenty of gravity outside the atmosphere. Being in “Free fall” is a more accurate description of space flight.
The reasons to launch by drop are 7 miles of altitude - potential energy gain - you don’t have to carry the fuel for and the much thinner air takes less energy to accelerate in.
“It’s using differential air pressure on the wings to stay up..”
Actually, lift is generated by the deflection of the air molecules.
I agree...They should rename it, The ObolaShip...
If you had the 250K to sponsor someone, whom would you send up next?
In addition to the lift problems others mentioned jet engines would shut down if they go too high. Jets engines provide energy by combining fuel with an oxidizer, similarly to any conventional car. Gas for the car, aviation gas aka jet fuel for the jets and that most basic oxidizer, oxygen, for both. Both save A LOT of weight by carrying the fuel, but taking the oxygen from the air through which they’re traveling. If you get high enough there’s no oxygen to take and the engine shuts down. Rockets get around that by carrying both their fuel and oxidizer. They don’t need air to run, but that oxidizer they carry is difficult to transport, adds weight and adds explosion risk.
Done it myself a few times.
OMG, a test launch vehicle failed?
You should get this in to breaking news zippo...
I’m being lectured by a relative newcomer to FR.
OK, dragonet...
:-)
Oh yeah...It’s all about the date of sign up in order to determine level of credibility....Brilliant zippo.
No hard feelings zep....Name sounds like one of Zappa’s kids....Zeppo Zappa?....Zappa Dappa? I used to love Aba Zappa’s BTW.
That is the goofy thing about the “Zero G” experience Branson is selling. Its basically just taking you up to high altitude and dropping you. Unlike Orbital Zero G where you are falling towards the earth while the earth curves away below you, so you never hit it, you are falling towards earth just like a guy committing suicide off of a building.
Not too many people would pay $200K if you describe it like that, I’m afraid, however.
I’m always impressed by the brilliant minds on FreeRepublic. Thanks for educating me. I’ve passed the info on to my 17 year old son.
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