SpaceShipTwo

[GScholz]

The Skunk Works is just one of many teams running experimental fusion reactors now. University of Washington's Dynomak design is especially interesting.

[Meatwad]

So you think the oil industry will take on Lockheed Martin Skunk Works and make them "sleep with the fishes"... I think it is far more likely that you're just a bit paranoid.

http://aviationweek.com/technology/skunk-works-reveals-compact-fusion-reactor-details

I hope im just paranoid but it would be great to see some new revolutionary techs in energy

[GScholz]

The "oil industry" will simply become the "energy industry". Exxon, Shell and all the other "big oil" companies have been diversifying for years. Shell for example is one of the big companies in wind power using their offshore oil expertise in building offshore wind turbine farms. Shell International Renewables was founded in 1997...

[bozon]

One of the prospects for an alternative energy source is Helium3 that can be mined in space. There are other element isotope that are rare on earth but can be mined in commercial quantities on the moon and asteroids. Once you mine them it will be a revolution, but we will have to use conventional mean to get things started.

Such a mission cannot be done in one huge monolithic project. It takes many small steps to get there. The profit to be made in the end is astronomical (pun intended) but the investment barrier is very very high. Taking a few persons into a low orbit is just a stepping stone to the bigger goal - not the end.

[Hetzer7]

new reports indicate copilot might have pulled the "feather lever" (move rear flight control surfaces into up position) too early.


http://www.cbsnews.com/news/virgin-galactic-spaceshiptwos-braking-devices-deployed-early-ntsb/

[rpm]

The report I saw said co-pilot unlocked the tail prematurely during the transonic acceleration stage. This allowed the tail to move long before it was supposed to. Think of unlocking your screen door during a hurricane.

[MrRiplEy[H]]

Fusion would only mean higher profits, energy price stays.

[GScholz]

Fusion would only mean higher profits, energy price stays.

Said like a true economist, not. 

[Slate]

The report I saw said co-pilot unlocked the tail prematurely during the transonic acceleration stage. This allowed the tail to move long before it was supposed to. Think of unlocking your screen door during a hurricane.

    The one thing we can't perfect is the Human. Some mistakes are deadly but we must continue trying for perfection.

        RIP space traveler