Tag: Virgin Galactic

Virgin’s VSS Unity Makes First Free Flight

Virgin’s VSS Unity Makes First Free Flight

After completing four captive carry test flights, Virgin Galactic conducted the first-free flight drop test of its second SpaceShipTwo, VSS Unity. The test took place on Saturday, December 3rd over California’s Mojave Desert.   “Today, VSS Unity was piloted by Mark Stucky and Dave Mackay, with pilots Mike Masucci and Todd Ericsson as well as […]

Virgin Galactic / Blue Origin Videos and Which Ticket Would You Buy?

Virgin Galactic / Blue Origin Videos and Which Ticket Would You Buy?

There is little doubt that SpaceX is for the moment in a class by itself in developing partially reusable orbital space transportation, but it is interesting to note that the company has had very little to say regarding what if any role it sees for space tourism in the products it is developing. The Dragon […]

A Brewing Battle Over the Small Launch Industry

A Brewing Battle Over the Small Launch Industry

There is a small, but potentially significant battle brewing between would-be launch providers in one segment of the rocket industry which has seen little development in recent years. How it plays out may say quite a bit about the degree to which the aerospace establishment is seeking to maintain its base wherever it can, and […]

Boom! Supersonic Aircraft Built by The Spaceship Company Get Serious Backing

Boom! Supersonic Aircraft Built by The Spaceship Company Get Serious Backing

Its hard to feel like your’re living in the space age during those increasingly unpleasant hours you spend flying the “friendly skies.” That it happens at speeds which are no faster than they were when the commercial jet age got underway, and only begin after an excruciating journey to and through the airport, only add […]

Posted in: Virgin Galactic
Virgin Galactic’s Cosmic Girl Undergoes Mods for Launch Duty

Virgin Galactic’s Cosmic Girl Undergoes Mods for Launch Duty

Virgin Galactic is making progress in its bid to enter the small launcher business with its LauncherOne two-stage, liquid fueled booster. Last week, the company announced that LauncherOne’s carrier aircraft, a Virgin Atlantic Boeing 747-400 named appropriately enough, Cosmic Girl, arrived in Waco. Texas for conversion to its new assignment. LauncherOne will be carried to […]

Posted in: Virgin Galactic
Virgin Galactic Unveils VSS Unity

Virgin Galactic Unveils VSS Unity

The nascent suborbital space tourism industry suffered a major blow on October 31st, 2014,  when Virgin Galactic’s VSS Enterprise was lost in a mid-air breakup over the Mojave desert during a powered test flight. Co-pilot Michael Alsbury was killed, and pilot Michael Siebold was badly injured. With the company already years behind schedule in the […]

Virgin Galactic Taps 747 For Satellite Launch

Virgin Galactic Taps 747 For Satellite Launch

Virgin Galactic Press Release: Dec 03, 2015 LAUNCHERONE PROGRAM TO USE DEDICATED 747-400 AIRCRAFT TO RESPONSIVELY AIR-LAUNCH SMALL SATELLITE CUSTOMER PAYLOADS San Antonio, TX – December 3, 2015 – Virgin Galactic introduced the newest addition to its fleet of vehicles today as part of a technical update on its LauncherOne small satellite launch service. The […]

Posted in: Virgin Galactic
NASA’s Venture Class Announcement & New Chinese Small Launcher Too

NASA’s Venture Class Announcement & New Chinese Small Launcher Too

Yesterday, NASA held a press conference to formally announce the winners of its initial Venture Class Launch Services competition. Given that notice of the awards, which went to Virgin Galactic, Rocket Lab and Firefly Space Systems was posted over two weeks ago, the event was somewhat redundant, but did shed new light on the agency’s […]

Virgin Galactic, Firefly and Rocket Lab Each Win NASA Venture Class Launch Award

Virgin Galactic, Firefly and Rocket Lab Each Win NASA Venture Class Launch Award

One of the great things about the emerging cubesat launch market is that NASA is able to help no less than three different companies get off the ground by booking a launch for less than $18 million. On June 12th, NASA’s Launch Services Program announced that it was establishing a new class of launch vehicles, […]

Virgin Galactic Announces Significant Progress with LauncherOne Propulsion Development

Virgin Galactic Announces Significant Progress with LauncherOne Propulsion Development

Virgin Galactic Press Release, Comments Follow VIRGIN GALACTIC ANNOUNCES SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS WITH LAUNCHERONE ROCKET PROPULSION IN-HOUSE TEAM ACHIEVES KEY MILESTONES IN STEADY-STATE TESTING OF MAIN STAGE AND UPPER STAGE LIQUID ENGINES MOJAVE, California – September 28, 2015 – Successful test firings of key propulsion components marked the latest sign of progress for Virgin Galactic’s dedicated small […]

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