Fwd: John Kelly: Private space providers press on toward their goal

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From: "Gary Johnson" <gjohnson144@comcast.net>
Date: May 5, 2013 5:44:20 PM GMT-06:00
To: "Gary Johnson" <gjohnson144@comcast.net>
Subject: FW: John Kelly: Private space providers press on toward their goal

 

      May 4, 2013 9:22 PM

 

 

John Kelly: Private space providers press on toward their goal

SpaceShipTwo test flight thrills: Virgin Galactic conducted the first rocket powered test flight of SpaceShipTwo. John Kelly talk about the importance of this flight. Posted May 2, 2013.

Written by
John Kelly
Space

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Virgin Galactic's SpaceShip2 under rocket power, its first ever since the program began in 2005. The spacecraft was dropped from its 'mothership', WhiteKnight2 over the Mojave, CA area, April 29, 2013 at high altitude before firing its hybrid power motor. Virgin Galactic hopes to become the first commercial space venture to bring multiple passengers into space on a regular basis.

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Virgin Galactic's SpaceShip2 under rocket power, its first ever since the program began in 2005. The spacecraft was dropped from its 'mothership', WhiteKnight2 over the Mojave, CA area, April 29, 2013 at high altitude before firing its t hybrid power motor. Virgin Galactic hopes to become the first commercial space venture to bring multiple passengers into space on a regular basis. This photo was taken from a remote camera located at top of the ships' tail.

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Sir Richard Branson 'high tens' with SpaceShip2 test pilot Mark Stuckey following the successful first powered flight of SpaceShipTwo. At left is Mark Stuckey's wife Cheryl and at right is Virgin Galactic President and CEO George Whitesides.. The spacecraft was dropped rom its 'mothership', WhiteKnight2 over the Mojave, CA area, April 29, 2013 at high altitude before firing its hybrid power motor. Virgin Galactic hopes to become the first commercial space venture to bring multiple passengers into space on a regular basis.

Seeing SpaceShip zooming over the California high desert is thrilling for space enthusiasts.

The first rocket-powered flight of the long-dreamed-of private spaceship is yet another sign that space travel is not altogether stalled by the political and financial troubles that stymie NASA.

Private entrepreneurs are not waiting around to see what happens with NASA's program. They are pressing on with innovative, difficult and wondrous efforts at advancing space flight.

In Mojave, the stingray-shaped SpaceShipTwo fell away from its gangly carrier aircraft, fired its engine for the first time and rocketed off to more than 55,000 feet.

SpaceShipTwo is a private spacecraft designed by aircraft visionary Burt Rutan. It's purpose: a space tourist liner for Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic.

Test flights are picking up. Virgin Galactic expects its ship to reach space by the end of 2013.

Not long after that, customers paying $200,000 — or more — are going to get the ride of their lives to suborbital space. They will unbuckle, float freely for a minute or so inside the cabin and gaze at the Earth before returning home to it.

Early tourist flights are planned from New Mexico's Spaceport America. But, Branson's said other sites could host SpaceShipTwo launches, including Kennedy Space Center.

Regardless, the rocket-powered test flights of SpaceShipTwo, the first flight of Orbital Sciences new Antares rocket and the ongoing success of SpaceX are good signs that space travel will not be stalled if governments around the world pull back during more austere times.

When companies like Virgin Galactic and SpaceX were making seemingly steep claims about what they thought they'd be doing in this decade, some in the industry scoffed. But the pace of development continues to be impressive and each successive accomplishment is a thrill.

 

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