SpaceShipTwo being assembled *Video*

[reekchaa]

Everyone else see this on YouTube yet? Scaled Composites' inner hangar workings...
Assembling SS2's mothership and showing just how basic it really is.

Test flight announcements are just around the corner now...

 

[unussapiens]

Very nice.

It's a great change from NASA's lab coats, hairnets, spotless facilities with machinery to do everything for them.

This video shows how light the body of SS2 (And White Knight 2) is, thanks to carbon fiber.

 

[Brad]

Very interesting. Makes you appreciate model building to a new level.

 

[Andy44]

Cool. All we need is Andy Griffith...

Wish RA Heinlein had lived to see this.

 

[Eagle]

Loved the vid. How many years until you can order a spaceship as a kit? (Like kit made aircraft, not display models)

 

[reekchaa]

Rutan keeps talking about SS2 being like Linux... 'Open Source'... free to the public, so It looks like he's wanting to stick to his homebuilt/kit-plane approach. :dance2:

 

[MJR]

Do you know how agile it will be? I know it is not an orbital craft, but I am wondering how its movements are.

 

[unussapiens]

Rutan keeps talking about SS2 being like Linux... 'Open Source'... free to the public, so It looks like he's wanting to stick to his homebuilt/kit-plane approach. :dance2:

Hmmm, I think I'll need a bigger garage (And bank balance).

 

[silent_protagonist]

I'm impressed by the lack of "ivory tower-ness" too. I mean they're actually touching it with their hands!

Of course there are reasons for building spacecraft in clean rooms, I hope all of this doesn't come back to bite Scaled later on. I guess that's the real test of whether private companies can significantly reduce the cost of space flight.

 

[Scrooge McDuck]

I'm impressed by the lack of "ivory tower-ness" too. I mean they're actually touching it with their hands!

Of course there are reasons for building spacecraft in clean rooms, I hope all of this doesn't come back to bite Scaled later on.

I don't see the need for assembling a manned suborbital plane like this in a clean room. I mean, only critical parts (for instance, like intel-processors it carries up, or maybe when the vacuum windows are assembled) are probably build in a clean room or with more care, but I don't think there is much on the basic fuselage that is affected by contamination/pollution from humans..

Some of them in the video do wear lab coats, btw .

regards,
mcduck

 

[reekchaa]

Do you know how agile it will be? I know it is not an orbital craft, but I am wondering how its movements are.

Although it's quite an upgrade to SS1, it should be comparable.

Watching the 'Black Sky:race for space' documentary, SS1 appears very nimble. Brian Binnie broke the gear on a late landing rotation on his first flight, but it has a great glide ratio as well as stall characteristic when not in flared/shuttle-cock/re-entry mode. Co2 thrusters for rotation in zero atmosphere fixed Mike Melvill's near-dead-spin into space in a pre X-prize winning flight. Quite an agile rocketplane, and a great documentary if you haven't seen it.

 

[Cosmos]

I keep watching their demo video for SS2, it's very cool!

 

[reekchaa]

The new updated animation reflects Burt Rutan's final Tri-Hull design...

...Although the interiors remain a hoakey CGI sell on a Dr.Who budget :hmm:​

 

[GregBurch]

It also reminded me of building a model kit. Now THAT'S a rocket company. That is the future.

GB

 

[Andy44]

That video is way-cool. Did anyone notice the name Enterprise on the nose? That would be a nice touch.

 

[thomasantony]

That video is way-cool. Did anyone notice the name Enterprise on the nose? That would be a nice touch.

Well the first SpaceShipTwo is to be named VSS Enterprise. Thats why.

~
Thomas

 

[Belisarius]

Re the kit idea, I just had a brainwave...

Why don't we all club together at the forum, maybe we could raise $200k or so, buy a ticket, and then hold a competition for one of us to go!

I'll kick in $50 if we get any response.