26 July 2007
<b>News from <a href=”http://www.airventure.org”><img src=”images/airventure.gif” border=”0″>Oshkosh</a></b>
Virgin Galactic, the company which hopes to put space tourists into orbit using the SpaceShipOne technology (you may remember that SpaceShipOne won the X-Prize spaceflight prize in 2004), was at Oshosh this week with a progress report on its plans.
SpaceShipTwo – the bigger, better version of the original craft – is currently under construction, and the company hopes to have it at next year’s Oshkosh – if not next year, definitely the year after, promised company President Wil Whitehorn. The new spacecraft will carry six passengers and two flight crew, and should reach some 62 miles above the earth.
A new version of the White Knight ‘booster’, which carries the SpaceShip component to altitude, is also under construction.
The company is hoping that SpaceShipTwo will start test flights early next year; White Knight should start its test programme in April 2008. The controls and systems in the SpaceShip are being kept as simple as possible, reported Alex Tai (who is developing the training programmes). Pilots, he said, would really fly the aeroplane/spaceship, not just monitor the systems.
A passenger training programme is also under development, as are spacesuits and other paraphernalia.
The venture is based upon Burt Rutan’s original aircraft, and is being backed by Rutan and Virgin boss Richard Branson.
