News Space tourism coming soon!!!

[Orbinaut Pete]

Aviation Week: "Flawless First Flight For SpaceShipTwo".

Parabolic Arc: "Photo Essay: SpaceShipTwo's First Glide Flight".

SPACE.com: "SpaceShipTwo's Tourist Joyrides Could Launch Next Year".

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

Wired: "SpaceShipTwo Flies 'Flawlessly' On First Glide Flight".

Parabolic Arc: "Burt Rutan Congratulates Scaled Team on Successful Drop Test".

Video: First Person: Branson Talks Virgin Galactic.​

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

Orlando Sentinel: "Central Florida "very likely location" for Virgin spaceflights — someday".

SPACE.com: "First Person: How I Trained to Fly in Space (Without Leaving Earth)".

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Virgin Galactic could bring jobs to Birmingham, UK!

The Birmingham Post: "Virgin's space tourism brings new opportunities for aerospace firms".

 

[Unstung]

Video of the drop test:

 

[Chupacabra]

National Geographic will be airing a documentary about Virgin Galactic's efforts to succeed tomorrow.

However, Dish Network has dropped their channel as of this weekend due to disputes between the parties. :facepalm:

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

SpaceRef: "Bigelow Aerospace Begins Testing Life Support Systems with Crew".

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SPACE.com: "Bigelow Aerospace Soars with Private Space Station Deals".

Parabolic Arc: "Photos of Bigelow's Plans to Commercialize Space".

 

[thetraceur]

Space Tourism is actually growing quite big now, I've seen more than three companies wanna build space station in LEO and even more planning to build Sub Orbital veichles before 2015. Virgin Galactic is in the lead right now.

 

[Unstung]

BBC: Runway opens at world's first spaceport

 

[Tycho]

There's been quite a burst in corporate interest in commercial spaceflight. I know of several companies looking to provide transport to LEO. It's quite exciting. Looks like there's still hope for us! :thumbup:

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

LOTS of commercial space updates this week!


SPACE.com: "Want to Take a Spaceflight? Commercial Space Pioneers Say It Takes Risk, Patience".

AGU: "Soot from space tourism rockets could spur climate change".

Parabolic Arc: "Video: Spaceport Sweden — Europe's Gateway to Space".

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Parabolic Arc: "Video: Bigelow Aerospace's Private Space Station".

Space News: "Bigelow Modules Draw Interest from Six Governments".

Aviation Week: "Volunteers Test Bigelow Life-Support Gear".

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Aviation Week:
• SS2 Test Moves Virgin Closer to Goal.
• Virgin Galactic Testing Extends To Passengers.

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SPACE.com: "Virgin Galactic Spaceship Christens New Spaceport Runway".

Spaceport America: "Spaceport Runway Dedication Includes Sir Richard Branson and NM Governor Richardson".

Some images of the dedication & WK2/SS2 fly-by are here.

Parabolic Arc:
• Photo Gallery: Spaceport America Runway Dedication Ceremony and Flyover.
• Video: Richard Branson Arrives at Spaceport America.
• Video: NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver Speaks at Spaceport America.
• Videos: WhiteKnightTwo and SpaceShipTwo Fly Over Spaceport America.

 

[RangerPL]

Since the legal definition of space is 100,000m and upwards, does this mean that whoever rides this thing is considered an astronaut?

 

[abninf]

Since the legal definition of space is 100,000m and upwards, does this mean that whoever rides this thing is considered an astronaut?

Commercial Astronaut. I read an explanation as to why somewhere, but I don't remember where. Buzz also thinks they shouldn't be called just an Astronaut

 

[tblaxland]

Commercial Astronaut. I read an explanation as to why somewhere, but I don't remember where. Buzz also thinks they shouldn't be called just an Astronaut

Because "Astronaut" implies at least many years of intensive training, a significant intellect and some courage. My Granny (bless her soul) could ride VSS Enterprise to space, but she could never qualify for a ride on a Space Shuttle, Soyuz, or the X-15.

Engineers don't like technicians stealing their title either

 

[SiberianTiger]

An article raising concern about Space Tourism potentially being a big threat for environment:
Space tourism to accelerate climate change

 

[Urwumpe]

I think astronauts should be people who have the skills to travel and work in space themselves, and not just be cattle in the trunk... Which would mean the first cosmonauts would have problems...sorry, this definition isn't fair either.

 

[SiberianTiger]

I think astronauts should be people who have the skills to travel and work in space themselves, and not just be cattle in the trunk... Which would mean the first cosmonauts would have problems...sorry, this definition isn't fair either.

Unlike cattle, the first cosmonauts had to perform a scientific program of observations and be sure to memorize everything and be able to report back afterwards. Probably, this is resembling what today's client of Space Adventures have to do, but honestly, I believe that up to these days all clients of Space Adventures earned a right to be called Astronauts (or okay, Cosmonauts, if it isn't someone's liking to call them Astronauts and he sees a difference).

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

Excited to hear that VSS Enterprise has just landed after a second successful glide flight in Mojave today.

Woo-Hoo! :woohoo:

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

SPACE.com: "Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo Completes 2nd Glide Test".

Commercial Spaceflight Federation Comments and Fact Sheet Regarding Recent Article for Geophysical Research Letters on Rocket Emissions.

 

[DanM]

Since the legal definition of space is 100,000m and upwards, does this mean that whoever rides this thing is considered an astronaut?

I would think that if someone was a pilot, scientist, technician, etc, they would be a Commercial Astronaut. However, if someone was simply riding it for recreation, they would be a spaceflight participant.

 

[Ghostrider]

Anyone who rides a tourist craft in a suborbital or orbital trajectory is as much an "astronaut" as a passenger on a commercial airliner is an "aviator".