The state of Virgin Galactic
The state of Virgin Galactic. Key quote:
One of the great things about Galactic is that it’s still built on a non-government market — that is to say, the individual spacefarer market, the space tourist market, call it what you will. As you know, we’re now over 400 people [who have paid deposits for a spaceflight], and over $55 million dollars in deposits. None of that is based on a government program. I think that’s really encouraging. It’s a sign that there are markets outside the government, and that you can build a human spaceflight business around those markets.
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Fourteen years ago I wrote that SLS and Orion were a bad ideas, a waste of money, would be years behind schedule, and better replaced by commercial private enterprise. Even today NASA and Congress refuse to recognize this reality.
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The state of Virgin Galactic. Key quote:
One of the great things about Galactic is that it’s still built on a non-government market — that is to say, the individual spacefarer market, the space tourist market, call it what you will. As you know, we’re now over 400 people [who have paid deposits for a spaceflight], and over $55 million dollars in deposits. None of that is based on a government program. I think that’s really encouraging. It’s a sign that there are markets outside the government, and that you can build a human spaceflight business around those markets.
The support of my readers through the years has given me the freedom and ability to analyze objectively the ongoing renaissance in space, as well as the cultural changes -- for good or ill -- that are happening across America. Four years ago, just before the 2020 election I wrote that Joe Biden's mental health was suspect. Only in this year has the propaganda mainstream media decided to recognize that basic fact.
Fourteen years ago I wrote that SLS and Orion were a bad ideas, a waste of money, would be years behind schedule, and better replaced by commercial private enterprise. Even today NASA and Congress refuse to recognize this reality.
In 2020 when the world panicked over COVID I wrote that the 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. Only in the past year have some of our so-called experts in the health field have begun to recognize these facts.
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.
Please consider supporting my work here at Behind the Black.
You can support me either by giving a one-time contribution or a regular subscription. There are five 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:
5. Donate by check, payable to Robert Zimmerman and mailed to
Behind The Black
c/o Robert Zimmerman
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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. And if you buy the books through the ebookit links, I get a larger cut and I get it sooner.
Excluding Virgin Galactics orbital work which is focused almost solely on the NASA market.
Kelly,
I didn’t know Virgin was offering orbital flights to anyone, let alone NASA.
VG recently allowed it was co funding 2 companies development of launch systems to support the possible commercial crew transport (crew to ISS) contract for 2015-2020, and specified they would also carry tourists with the crews.
Note they mentioned it could also support Bigelow station, that wouldn’t be enough to warrent development.
Kelly, so didn’t you just contradict yourself? How’s that cognitive dissonance going?
If there is a market for suborbital flights (and VG obviously thinks there is), why wouldn’t there be a market for orbital ones?
Chris, why even ask? The Russians have sold every seat they’ve ever made available. They haven’t even discovered the price point yet. Worse yet, they force the customers to go through the horrible cosmonaut training, and they do it. They recently just announced they’ve increased production to provide 3 more seats per year starting in 2013. What more evidence do you want?
> Kelly, so didn’t you just contradict yourself?
How?
> If there is a market for suborbital flights (and VG obviously thinks there is), why wouldn’t there be a
> market for orbital ones?
Theres obviously some market. But at the $50 million per seat the Rusians are chargnig for a ride on the Soyuz, they’ve only found a couple buyers. Not a real problem given the Rusians can’t build a lot of Soyuz, and its currently fully booked just carrying the handfull of folks the ISS can support. (Effectivly to fly a tourist a NASA or Russian (or other) astrounaut doesn’t get to go.) But that size tourist market, of a couple folks ever couple years, is to small to warrent designing or building stuff just to support tourists. If the cost was a lot less, you’ld likely get a lot more tourists. But no one knows how many at what cost, so they can’t work out a profitable busness plan.