SpaceShipTwo broke the sound barrier on its first powered flight.
Below the fold is video of the flight.
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The competition heats up: SpaceShipTwo has successfully completed its first powered flight. Some images here.
The excitement builds in Mojave for SpaceShipTwo’s first powered flight, expected on Monday..
The flight window appears to stretch from 6 pm (Pacific) Sunday to noon Tuesday.
The competition heats up: In a web interview today, Richard Branson said that the first supersonic powered flight of SpaceShipTwo is now set for this coming Monday.
We’re hoping to break the sound barrier. That’s planned Monday. It will be a historic day. This is going to be Virgin Galactic’s year. We’ll break the sound barrier Monday and from there, we build up through the rest of the year, finally going into space near the end of the year. I’ll be on the first official flight, which we look to have in the first quarter of next year. We’re doing a number of test flights into space first.
The competition heats up: Because its FAA test flight permit will expire on May 23, SpaceShipTwo’s first powered flight has to occur by then and be supersonic.
What is unclear to me is how the expiration of this permit could affect future flights. Does Virgin Galactic have to get a new permit to continue test flights? What about the tourist flights that are supposed to follow?
Alan Boyle has some more information on SpaceShipTwo’s most recent test flight, and the rumors concerning the ship’s first powered flight.
The competition heats up: New rumors suggest that the first powered flight of SpaceShipTwo will occur April 22.
The competition heats up: More successful glide tests today for SpaceShipTwo, now with its engine attached.
They are testing the flight characteristics of the spaceship with the additional engine weight. Once satisfied, they will then move on to powered flights.
The competition heats up: Virgin Galactic reports that the recent tests of the engine for SpaceShipTwo have been a complete success.
It appears that they are getting very close to putting the engine on the spaceship for the first powered flights. Things should get very exciting when they do.
Virgin Galactic has begun paying rent — under protest — for its use of a New Mexico spaceport.
The Democratic Party leaders in New Mexico have announced that an agreement over spaceport liability has been reached with Virgin Galactic.
This might be good, but with no details released and all the statements coming from politicians of only one party it is reasonable to wonder how serious it is and whether this announcement is merely a bargaining ploy.
A (new) Mexican standoff at the old spaceport.
Messier not only provides a detailed analysis of the negotiations on-going between Virgin Galactic and Spaceport America over liability issues, he also provides context, much of which is not encouraging. For example,
SpaceShipTwo is set to begin its first powered test flights later this year using a “starter motor” that will be smaller than the full-scale hybrid engine that will be used for flights into space. The motor will allow pilots to test the space plane in the transonic flight region, which would be a major step forward.
Whether the full-scale RocketMotorTwo engine, powered by nitrous oxide and rubber, will be ready to fly this year is an interesting question. There have been stories for years – persistent, consistent and never really denied – that the motor just doesn’t work very well. Hybrid motors can function effectively for smaller vehicles, such as the smaller SpaceShipOne vehicle that flew in 2004, but are difficult to scale up. SpaceShipTwo is three times larger than its predecessor.
Meanwhile, there are the liability questions which might force Virgin Galactic, and all other private space companies, to flee New Mexico. The analysis suggests that the taxpayers of New Mexico might have paid for a very expensive spaceport that might never pay for itself.
More details on Virgin Galactic’s first glide test of SpaceShipTwo with its rocket motor attached.
SpaceShipTwo has successfully completed its first glide test flight with its rocket motor attached.
Now that they know the spacecraft glides properly with the extra weight of the rocket, this sets the stage for the first powered flight.
On Wednesday Richard Branson told an audience of students in Poland that the first paid tourist flight of SpaceShipTwo is at least 12 to 18 months away.
That seems about right. This gives them about a year of powered flight tests, all manned but with no paying customers, in order to make sure the system is save for customers.
The competition heats up: Virgin Galactic has begun the installation of SpaceShipTwo’s engine in preparation for its first powered test flights.
The article also provides some details about the status of XCOR’s Lynx suborbital craft.
The competition heats up: Scaled Composites last Thursday successfully completed a 45 second test burn of the engine for SpaceShipTwo.
The competition heats up: Scaled Composites, having finished glide tests of SpaceShipTwo, is now installing the rocket motor for powered flight tests.
The competition heats up: SpaceShipTwo is being readied for its first powered flights before the end of the year.
The article also provides a good review of the last two years of glide tests, what was learned and what was done with that knowledge.
The competition heats up: With its most recent glide test on Saturday it appears SpaceShipTwo has successfully fulfilled its glide engineering goals. Hat tip Clark Lindsay at NewSpace Watch. To quote their flight summary:
With this latest round of six flights we have cleared the full glide-flight envelope for airspeed, angle-of-attack, CG, and structural loads!
The competition heats up: SpaceShipTwo has resumed glide tests.
Not only was there a test last week, one is expected today. The results will be posted here.
The competition heats up: From Virgin Galactic come two announcements today:
The second is really the big news, especially as it appears they already have some customers.
LauncherOne will be a two-stage vehicle capable of carrying up to 500 pounds (225 kilograms) to orbit for prices below $10 million. The rocket will be launched from Virgin Galactic’s proven WhiteKnightTwo, the uniquely capable aircraft also designed to carry SpaceShipTwo aloft to begin her suborbital missions. Thanks to the extreme flexibility of air launch, Virgin Galactic’s customers will enjoy reduced infrastructure costs in addition to the wide range of possible launch locations tailored to individual mission requirements and weather conditions. Branson and other senior executives announced that work has already begun on the vehicle.
Take a gander at these cool images from SpaceShipTwo’s most recent test flights.
SpaceShipTwo resumed flight tests yesterday.
Using WhiteKnightTwo to launch cargo, including an update on revisions to SpaceShipTwo’s design.
The competition heats up: Test firing of SpaceShipTwo’s rocket motor has begun.
The competition heats up: SpaceShipTwo was in the air on Friday, as WhiteKnightTwo did a 1.5 hour test flight with the ship attached to its belly.
This was the second flight of WhiteKnightTwo in three days, and is in line with Virgin Galactic’s test flight schedule announced in May. If the test flights go well, expect that first rocket-powered flight of SpaceShipTwo later this year.
The competition heats up: The FAA has granted Scaled Composites and Virgin Galactic a launch permit to begin rocket-powered test flights of SpaceShipTwo.
The competition heats up: WhiteKnightTwo made its 80th flight yesterday.
SpaceShipTwo to resume flight tests in June after a nine month hiatus.
The long pause in flight tests, as well as the apparent delays in flying the ship with its rocket engine, suggest that there have been engineering issues with the ship and engine that Scaled Composites hasn’t revealed. Hopefully the resumption of testing is an indication that these issues have been overcome.
