VSS Enterprise first Crewed flight.

[anemazoso]

As some of you may know, the VSS Enterprise (SpaceShipTwo) has been undergoing captive carry tests over the last several months. On July 15th Scaled carried out the first crewed captive flight and the video of this beautifull ship is absolutely captiv-ating!!!


[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-FeuOvdK0E&feature=player_embedded"]YouTube- VSS Enterprise Makes First Crewed Flight[/ame]

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

(Moved here from the "Space tourism coming soon!!!" thread.)

Virgin Galactic: "VSS Enterprise Makes First Crewed Flight". <- Includes photos of the flight.

SPACE.com: "Virgin Galactic's Private Spaceship Makes First Crewed Flight".

 

[anemazoso]

Is there or should we start an offical Virgin Galactic/SS2 thread? I mean, we have threads stickied for spacecraft that haven't flew yet. Of couse, it would be hard to find because we only get news every couple of months. Hopefully the test schedule will pick up the pace soon.

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

Is there or should we start an offical Virgin Galactic/SS2 thread? I mean, we have threads stickied for spacecraft that haven't flew yet. Of couse, it would be hard to find because we only get news every couple of months. Hopefully the test schedule will pick up the pace soon.

We should probably start a new thread, especially following this news!

SPACE.com: "Virgin Galactic Spaceship's 1st Glide Test Could Occur This Fall".

 

[anemazoso]

The first passenger flights will not occur until an exhaustive test flight program is completed, and the spacecraft have won all necessary regulatory approvals, he said.

Regulatory approvals? I wonder what requirements/certifications they need to get? Guess I gotta go look up the FAA specs.

 

[TMac3000]

Gentlemen, you are looking at probably the closest thing we will ever have to a single-stage to orbit spacecraft:headbang:

 

[Face]

Gentlemen, you are looking at probably the closest thing we will ever have to a single-stage to orbit spacecraft:headbang:

More like "single-stage to space". Orbit is still far away for this thing.

 

[Urwumpe]

More like "single-stage to space". Orbit is still far away for this thing.

Yes, it would need about four times the Delta-V for that.

 

[jedidia]

Gentlemen, you are looking at probably the closest thing we will ever have to a single-stage to orbit spacecraft

???

It's not designed to reach orbit at all, and it's certainly not single stage. If we can't do better than this we might as well kiss the planets goodbye.

 

[River Crab]

A beautiful machine, it will be a wonder to see it ascend.

Gentlemen, you are looking at probably the closest thing we will ever have to a single-stage to orbit spacecraft:headbang:

Well, way to be pessimistic. Although I should've been more skeptical about the VentureStar (I was young!).
Here's for hoping we get a bit further than that!
:hail:
Oh, BTW, isn't Eve considered a first stage? It's really two-stage then, what makes it special is that it's completely reusable.