SpaceShipTwo flew another glide test today.
SpaceShipTwo flew another glide test today.
Not a powered flight however. See Doug Messier’s comments here about the slow pace of these powered tests, and how it raises questions about the company’s claim that it will be flying commercially next year.
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SpaceShipTwo flew another glide test today.
Not a powered flight however. See Doug Messier’s comments here about the slow pace of these powered tests, and how it raises questions about the company’s claim that it will be flying commercially next year.
Readers!
Every February I run a fund-raising drive during my birthday month. This year I celebrate my 72nd birthday, and hope and plan to continue writing and posting on Behind the Black for as long as I am able.
I hope my readers will support this effort. As I did in my November fund-raising drive, I am offering autographed copies of my books for large donations. Donate $250 and you can have a choice of the hardback of either Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8 or Conscious Choice: The origins of slavery in America and why it matters today and for our future in outer space. Donate $200 and you can get an autographed paperback copy of either.
Please consider supporting my work here at Behind the Black. My analysis of space, politics, and culture, taken from the perspective of an historian, is almost always on the money and ahead of the game. For example, in 2020 I correctly predicted that the COVID panic was unnecessary, that the virus was apparently simply a variation of the flu, that masks were not simply pointless but if worn incorrectly were a health threat, that the lockdowns were a disaster and did nothing to stop the spread of COVID. Every one of those 2020 conclusions has turned out right.
Your help allows me to do this kind of intelligent analysis. I take no advertising or sponsors, so my reporting isn't influenced by donations by established space or drug companies. Instead, I rely entirely on donations and subscriptions from my readers, which gives me the freedom to write what I think, unencumbered by outside influences.
You can support me either by giving a one-time contribution or a regular subscription. There are four ways of doing so:
1. Zelle: This is the only internet method that charges no fees. All you have to do is use the Zelle link at your internet bank and give my name and email address (zimmerman at nasw dot org). What you donate is what I get.
2. Patreon: Go to my website there and pick one of five monthly subscription amounts, or by making a one-time donation.
3. A Paypal Donation or subscription:
4. Donate by check, payable to Robert Zimmerman and mailed to
Behind The Black
c/o Robert Zimmerman
P.O.Box 1262
Cortaro, AZ 85652
You can also support me by buying one of my books, as noted in the boxes interspersed throughout the webpage or shown in the menu above.
Shows what can happen when ideology takes precedence over business considerations. Businesses can fail for any number of reasons and having an ideology incompatible with reality is a big one. The only reason this company is still around is deep pockets.
What ideology are you talking about?
XCOR is still around, and they don’t have any deep pockets to draw from.
Man, Virgin and Scalled are paying big time for Rutans over estimation of the safety/reliability/scalability of Hybrids.
….and the idea they could develop their own engine themselves and didn’t need to work with a engine maker.
Maybe next he will try to go green and use soybean oil and green tea extract to make orbit.
400 million dollars should be enough to see if that idea works.
That is about how much he has spent trying to force this hybrid to work. All so he could be different than everyone else.
He’s going to end up using a small liquid fuel engine and some disposable J-Tow solid fuel packs.
More than likely bought off the shelf from someone else.
I think this was a big reason why Branson informed Scaled they wouldn’t be asked to bid for SS3 (orbital) and why Rutan decided it was time to retire.
As to rocket engines, Yeah you can buy a lot of off the shelf liquid motors for what they spent on the hybrides, and get a smaller lighter package IN A LOT LESS THEN 10 YEARS!!!