Author Topic: Spaceship Two unveiled (Read 866 times)

moot · « **on:** January 23, 2008, 02:53:24 PM »

http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2008/01/spaceshiptwo-un.html

Quote

Jim Tighe, Scaled aerodynamicist on the differences in SpaceShipTwo from SpaceShipOne: four main differences:

1) Size. it's as big as his first apartment, he says.

2) Windows are 18 inches.

3) Passengers will be able to get up and walk around.

4) "Since it's a commercial vehicle, we have a lot of safety features."

You can see SpaceShipTwo here, slung beneath the White Knight 2 mothership. Rutan says White Knight 2 will have the wingspan of a B-29 bomber.

It's got noseart too

The best part IMO: They're planning to build enough that hundreds of thousands of people will get a ride. With enough success, they'll be able to get point to point passenger flights going, e.g. NYC to Australia in one hour.
And the next step is orbital

First test flights are this summer.

Halo · « **Reply #1 on:** January 23, 2008, 05:35:17 PM »

Thanks for the link. I'm not a big fan of two aircraft joined together even though some, like the F-82, have been successful. They just seem too ungainly.

Sounds as if they have a BIG problem with their rocket.

LePaul · « **Reply #2 on:** January 23, 2008, 05:47:02 PM »

Kinda reminds me of the Twin Mustang project, who gets to fly?

bustr · « **Reply #3 on:** January 23, 2008, 05:54:36 PM »

Maybe this is the begining of the push to space that will get us out into the galaxy. If civilians coquer space instead of government and the militairy then we will be free to colonise it.

moot · « **Reply #4 on:** January 23, 2008, 06:55:41 PM »

What big problem Halo?

Bustr, I sure hope we get past that initial expense. It's all that's needed to get the ball rolling. There's just so much to capitalize on out there, free for us to exploit.

DiabloTX · « **Reply #5 on:** January 23, 2008, 07:07:40 PM »

Didn't they have an explosion last year that killed a couple of people during a test run of a rocket? Seems to ring a bell.

I really dig the tandem jets with Spaceship Two attached. Looks cool.

rpm · « **Reply #6 on:** January 23, 2008, 07:11:19 PM »

Yeah, there was an explosion during a static test.

moot · « **Reply #7 on:** January 23, 2008, 08:44:14 PM »

That's not a problem with the rocket, but with testing. There wasn't anything wrong with the equipment, but with what one of those guys did while testing it. Splitting hairs, but as far as I've heard, the carrier plane and sub-orbital rocket have nothing wrong with them, so besides red tape and obviously more efficient safety training, they've got nothing in their way to hit their targets.

Chairboy · « **Reply #8 on:** January 23, 2008, 09:27:52 PM »

Spaceship 2 looks like an X-20 Dyna-Soar!

I wonder if any of SpaceX's rockets has the same throw as a Titan IIIC...

I had a love affair with the Dyna-Soar, even built an R/C version for launching atop model rockets.

moot · « **Reply #9 on:** January 24, 2008, 03:01:44 AM »

The Falcon 9 should be able to lift the Orion capsule, more or less. I don't know how that compares with the Titan IIIC.

Sabre · « **Reply #10 on:** January 24, 2008, 12:22:13 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Chairboy
Spaceship 2 looks like an X-20 Dyna-Soar!

I wonder if any of SpaceX's rockets has the same throw as a Titan IIIC...

I had a love affair with the Dyna-Soar, even built an R/C version for launching atop model rockets.

I was thinking the same thing. My dad worked on the Dyna-Soar program, back when he was at General Dynamics. I still have an old newspaper clipping somewhere about it.

Chairboy · « **Reply #11 on:** January 24, 2008, 12:49:27 PM »

I read a story in Aviation Leak & Space Technology last year:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackstar_%28spaceplane%29

Might not be the only thing with that profile up there.

Halo · « **Reply #12 on:** January 24, 2008, 05:33:21 PM »

(quote) What big problem Halo? (unquote)

The rocket engine that blew up during testing.

Chairboy · « **Reply #13 on:** January 24, 2008, 05:37:10 PM »

Halo, every R&D program has problems, that's why we don't ship the first prototype. Why do you think they have a big problem? Or are you one of those folks that assumes that any accident spells long term disaster?

moot · « **Reply #14 on:** January 24, 2008, 07:52:39 PM »

Yes, that's what happened. It wasn't the rocket, it was the operator. Pick any machine you want with the safest record you can find, and I could crash it and/or hurt people in the process.