Space Ship II, White Knight II - projects, flights, info

Hydroman said:
Well, you don't know until VG decides to pursue something similar to Space X/NASA. Yes, NASA funds many Space X "LAUNCHES", great, I'm talking about NASA getting systems and missions done with more efficiency. Remember, NASA really beat up Space X in the beginning stating we're NASA, we are the only ones who can do space right.
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Wrong again. Yes, we know.
VG has already failed once at commercial spaceflight: Virgin Orbit.
They didn't know what they were doing for VG and same for VO. They chose systems that provided little income that didn't cover the initial investment. Also, they did have money to recover from failures.
Virgin isn't going to try a third time

No, NASA did not beat up SpaceX in the beginning. NASA provided $400 million for the development of Falcon 9 and Dragon spacecraft. And then signed them onto a $1.6 billion contract for 12 missions to the ISS.
 
www.latimes.com

Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic lays off 185 employees, 18% of workforce. Nearly 80 worked in Mojave

Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic space tourism firm has laid off about 18% of its employees as it faces turbulent headwinds in the capital markets, the company says.
www.latimes.com www.latimes.com

Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic lays off 185 employees, 18% of workforce. Nearly 80 worked in Mojave

BY SAMANTHA MASUNAGASTAFF WRITER
PUBLISHED NOV. 8, 2023 UPDATED NOV. 9, 2023 1:40 PM PT

Richard Branson‘s Virgin Galactic will lay off 185 employees, or about 18% of the company, as the space tourism firm attempts to conserve cash, ride out the skittish capital markets and focus resources on a new line of spacecraft.
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Things are not looking good for VG now that they have started to lay off 185 employees Flyaway, I did not think that it would go that far to sack that many workers.
 
Mission VS-06 will launch in January.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1737224526944211028
View: https://twitter.com/virgingalactic/status/1737224526944211028


The #Galactic06 flight window opens on January 26, 2024, for our 11th spaceflight. VSS Unity will carry four customers, following a year of unprecedented human spaceflight achievements, including six suborbital spaceflights in six months. Details →
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Virgin Galactic

Virgin Galactic is launching a new space age, where all are invited along for the ride.
www.virgingalactic.com
 
https://twitter.com/x/status/1749474026265956833
View: https://twitter.com/virgingalactic/status/1749474026265956833


✨ #Galactic06 mission patch revealed!

The patch represents the Ukrainian, Austrian and United States nationalities showcasing our crew's global background. One star for each Pilot and Astronaut crew and a central seven-point star denoting mountains and continents conquered by members of the crew.
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https://twitter.com/x/status/1750021981221863903
View: https://twitter.com/virgingalactic/status/1750021981221863903


L-3: Goin' up on a Tuesday! The #Galactic06 crew have completed VSS Unity Spaceflight Simulator Training.
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Even though it’s not a safety risk I don’t doubt it’s not good publicity for a commercial spaceflight operator.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1754628029647589604
View: https://twitter.com/thesheetztweetz/status/1754628029647589604


Virgin Galactic $SPCE and FAA reviewing "alignment pin" that detached from carrier aircraft VMS Eve after releasing most recent spaceflight.

Key points:
– wasn't a safety risk to vehicles, crew
– pin used for attaching spacecraft to aircraft on the ground
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VIRGIN GALACTIC REPORTS FLIGHT ISSUE TO FAA

February 5, 2024
Standard post-flight review found an alignment pin detached from the mothership during the ‘Galactic 06’ flight

The alignment pin performed all primary functions during mated flight

At no time was there a safety impact to mothership, spaceship, crew on board or people on the ground

ORANGE COUNTY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Virgin Galactic Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: SPCE) (the “Company” or “Virgin Galactic”) today announced that during routine post-flight reviews following its most recent spaceflight, ‘Galactic 06,’ the Company became aware that an alignment pin detached from the launch pylon of our mothership, VMS Eve, during flight. The Company notified the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on January 31 in accordance with regulations and is conducting a review in conjunction with the FAA.

‘Galactic 06’ was a safe and successful flight that was conducted in accordance with Virgin Galactic’s rigorous flight procedures and protocols. At no time did the detached alignment pin pose a safety impact to the vehicles or the crew on board. Virgin Galactic flights occur in restricted airspace and at specific geographical launch locations that control the hazards to people or structures on the ground. The Company also observed no damage to the spaceship or the mothership.

The alignment pin helps ensure the spaceship is aligned to the mothership when mating the vehicles on the ground during pre-flight procedures. During mated flight, as the vehicles climb towards release altitude, the alignment pin helps transfer drag and other forces from the spaceship to the shear pin fitting assembly and into the pylon and center wing of the mothership. The shear pin fitting assembly remained both attached and intact on the mothership with no damage. While both parts play a role during mated flight, they do not support the spaceship’s weight, nor do they have an active function once the spaceship is released.

The alignment pin and shear pin fitting assembly performed as designed during the mated portion of the flight, and only the alignment pin detached after the spaceship was released from the mothership.

Virgin Galactic will provide a further update at the completion of the review and will confirm the flight window for the ‘Galactic 07’ mission, which is planned for the second quarter of 2024.
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You need a lawyer for that one. I wonder how Boeing's Satchel and Alexio are doing now....from the EELV data theft...or Darleen Druyen..
or...
 
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https://twitter.com/x/status/1799474392537407500
View: https://twitter.com/virgingalactic/status/1799474392537407500


#Galactic07 spaceflight stats? Right here!

⏰ Take-off Time
08:31 am MT

Altitude at Release
44,562 ft

Apogee
54.4 Miles

Top Speed
2.96 Mach

Landing Time
9:41 AM MT

More →
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Virgin Galactic

Virgin Galactic is launching a new space age, where all are invited along for the ride.
www.virgingalactic.com

NEWS • 08/06/24
VIRGIN GALACTIC COMPLETES 12TH SUCCESSFUL SPACEFLIGHT
‘Galactic 07’ Carries Five Research Payloads During Company’s Seventh Research Mission

After Today’s Final Commercial Flight of VSS Unity, Momentum Builds for Production of Delta Class Spaceships

ORANGE COUNTY, Calif. – (June XX, 2024) – Virgin Galactic Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: SPCE) (“Virgin Galactic” or the “Company”) today announced the completion of its second spaceflight of 2024 and 12th mission to date, carrying one researcher and three private astronauts. Today’s ‘Galactic 07’ flight marks the Company’s seventh research mission with Virgin Galactic’s spaceship again serving as a suborbital lab for space-based scientific research.

Onboard ‘Galactic 07’:

● Astronaut 027 – Tuva Cihangir Atasever, Turkish Space Agency (TUA) astronaut and Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3) Backup Mission Specialist

● Astronaut 028 – Anand “Andy” Harish Sadhwani, California, USA

● Astronaut 029 – Irving Izchak Pergament, New York, USA

● Astronaut 030 – Giorgio Manenti, Italy

‘Galactic 07’ ’Flight Facts

● Take-off Time: 08:31 am MT

● Altitude at Release: 44,562 ft

● Apogee: 54.4 miles

● Top Speed: Mach 2.96

● Landing Time: 9:41 am MT

“Watching our pioneering spaceship Unity return from space on its final commercial flight was a breathtaking and proud moment as we celebrate the ship’s unprecedented achievements in human spaceflight and build momentum for the rollout of our first Delta Class ships in 2026,” said Michael Colglazier, CEO of Virgin Galactic.

On today’s flight, Atasever flew with three human-tended experiments, including custom headgear with brain activity monitoring sensors to collect physiological data related to human spaceflight; a dosimeter; and two commercially available insulin pens to examine the ability to administer accurate insulin doses in microgravity. He also participated in four investigations carried out by Turkish researchers on the ground to understand physiological changes during suborbital spaceflight.

“I am beyond grateful to have represented my country on ‘Galactic 07’ and conduct groundbreaking research that will impact future space missions,” said Atasever. “The successful completion of Ax-3 and now ‘Galactic 07’ is just the beginning of Türkiye’s space endeavors. May our people at home continue to be inspired and dream beyond the stars.”

‘Galactic 07’ also flew two autonomous rack-mounted payloads supported by NASA’s Flight Opportunities program: a Purdue University experiment to study propellant slosh for spacecraft propulsion applications and a University of California, Berkeley experiment to test new 3D printing technology while in microgravity.

The flight was Virgin Galactic’s seventh spaceflight carrying microgravity and space-based research, following last year’s research missions, ‘Galactic 05’ with U.S. Planetary Scientist Dr. Alan Stern and U.S. Payload Specialist and Bioastronautics Researcher Kellie Gerardi, and ‘Galactic 01’ with the Italian Air Force and National Research Council. VSS Unity was piloted by Commander Nicola Pecile and Pilot Jameel Janjua. VMS Eve was piloted by Commander Andy Edgell and Pilot C.J. Sturckow.

Read the Virgin Galactic research overview here, and learn more about the ‘Galactic 07’ payloads here.

Building on VSS Unity’s unrivaled record in commercial human spaceflight (32 total flights, including 12 to space), the company is now producing its fourth-generation and most advanced spaceships, the Delta Class, expected to enter commercial service in 2026.

Press materials may be accessed via the Virgin Galactic Newsroom at https://press.virgingalactic.com, including:

● Full catalog of hi-res imagery and b-roll from all flights

● Photos and video from ‘Galactic 07’ mission

● Pilot bios

● Astronaut bios available here: https://www.virgingalactic.com/virgin-galactic-astronauts
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The space tourism gimmick seems to have died. Blue Origin moving in the direction of Space X, Branson and VG need to move in that direction and do real work in space plus Virgin Orbit died. NASA not doing well with Starliner, too much $ for too little benefit. Remember, when TSC took the Scaled SS2 prototype, TSC had to turn it into a production-type, certified vehicle to fly paying passengers on, lots of design changes and improvements to get to that point. New Mexico not happy regarding the minimal Space Port activity especially when NM invested a good amount of money hedging on Branson and VG. And stop with the Delta platform for more passengers, please re-prioritize and get into "real space".
 
sorry to say it so harsh
but its Branson own fault
He could have already start service in 2004, with SS1 with two passenger or experiments.
special with experiments would kickstart the program until SS2 was ready
yes i know that SS2 was hell of am mess that took almost 10 years until it fly.
now they working on SS3

On Virgin Orbital, Branson had put more control on it company CEO, who wanted too much, to fast.
What ended in disaster Launch over Britain, who what was complete unnecessary spectacle...
with more control on VO Business, Only operation from USA, modest operation could had safe Virgin Orbit
sadly the company went bankrupt, a fate coming fast to Virgin Galactic too...
 
It is still the only civilian plane that can fly you to Mach 3 and bring you the closest to The Right Stuff experience you could ever get (and I am willing to bet, for long).
I can only see Bad marketing for this. Engineers and dreamers did their job (for example, the necessity to have a cabin volume large enough for passengers to play chimpanzee is absolutely counter-productive*).

They have the desert base, the mother plane, the nimble and sexy looking rocket plane that soars with a spectacular plume of smoke, the triple mach speed, the deep blue horizon, the weightless apogee, the epic dive and glide back ending with a dramatic dead-stick landing in the hands of steel nerved pilots. That´s what they should sell. Every bit of this. Not the floating idiot addicted to selfies.

SS3 should be more packed than any low cost charter.

*Volume = Drag on the first order degree and mass on the second here
 
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What I can't understand is the extremely long period of time it took to test and qualify the SS2 (And I'm taking into account the destruction of the first flight-article).
 
TomcatViP said:
It is still the only civilian plane that can fly you to Mach 3 and bring you the closest to The Right Stuff experience you could ever get (and I am willing to bet, for long).
I can only see Bad marketing for this. Engineers and dreamers did their job
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I seem to remember a push to kill off Constellation (nee Artemis) to make MSFC funds available to the sub-orbital crowd---the ones who want limited NACA back and such nonsense.

I am very glad the Bransons never got their hands on that money---that would have been the true waste.

What they should have done was push Shuttle-2... something modular.

Instead, the stick-and-rudder guys got the Carny Barkers.
 
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NMaude said:
What I can't understand is the extremely long period of time it took to test and qualify the SS2 (And I'm taking into account the destruction of the first flight-article).
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They had allot set back on SS2 during 2005-2021

First issue with SS2 engine what 2007 ended in explosion during testing, killed three engineers and seriously injured three others.
they change the manufacturer to Sierra Nevada Corporation for new engine design that took 2009 to 2014 to develop.

during that time Burt Rutan went in retirement in 2010.

2014 happen disaster with VSS Enterprise, what i recall right, was provoke by co-pilot onlock wing prior to drop.
with wing lose during max-Q VSS Enterprise undergo RUD killing the co-pilot.
this delay program for 2 years, follow test flight in 2016 with VSS Unity until 2018
Do COVID-19 pandemic it took to 2021 for first crew flight with Branson on board, to beat Bezos attempt in Texas.

Now VSS Unity is retire in 2023 after 32 flights 8 with passenger.
and i have no idea if two others SS2 were ever completed, i hope so
other wise if Branson stop flights and wait for SS3/delta is ready
this could end in bankruptcy of Virgin Galactic
 
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publiusr said:
I seem to remember a push to kill off Constellation (nee Artemis) to make MSFC funds available to the sub-orbital crowd---the ones who want limited NACA back and such nonsense.
.
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NASA would have been better off and further if it happened. And it wasn't for the "sub orbital crowd", it was technology demonstration missions. Stuff that NASA should be doing instead of producing outdated rockets, that have no real purpose.
 
Like Venture Star?
We saw how expensive a simpler SD-HLLV became thanks to Boeing --but I remember some of the SLI plans --and they likely would have had SLS costs for EELV-mass payloads and also be edged out by Falcon.

As it stands, Artemis is real--it exists, and folks should be happy.
 
publiusr said:
Like Venture Star?
We saw how expensive a simpler SD-HLLV became thanks to Boeing --but I remember some of the SLI plans --and they likely would have had SLS costs for EELV-mass payloads and also be edged out by Falcon.

As it stands, Artemis is real--it exists, and folks should be happy.
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Not launch vehicle technology demonstrations, after all I said NASA shouldn't be producing outdated rockets,
And I said missions, not launches. It was spacecraft demonstrations like propellant transfer and depots, automated rendezvous and docking, spacecraft repair, etc.

Artemis is ok, just don't need SLS. It doesn't make people happy.
 

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