Virgin Galactic have achieved so much to almost fulfil the dream of being able to offer commercial space fight to the public. They propose that fare paying passengers will be carried in a space rocket glider designated "Space Ship 2" (SS2) carried high into the atmosphere by a carrier aircraft called, the "White Knight 2" (WW2).
Apparently about 250 customers have either paid for the flight or paid a deposit for flights which are due to commence sometime after 2010. The trip will not be for the faint hearted - for a start, about $200K will be required to reserve a seat. Apparently, Virgin Galactic have already raised $35 Million through sales. If everything goes as planned, the company believes that the annual revenue potential is about $600 Million.
Clearly, the developement costs are very high; a total cost of $250 Million is predicted, but this could increase, however expenditure is drawn out over many years and the funds are supplemented by revenue from other sources.
The technology is very interesting. The WW2 will be the first twin fuselage aircraft produced since the 1940s and will be powered by four Pratt and Whitney PW308 turbofans, and will have a range of more than 4,000 Km with the SS2 payload. The aircraft will be flown from the right fuselage. The SS2 will be made of composites and will be released from WW2 at 50,000 feet. It will rocket to a maximum apogee of about 110 Km above the Earth, after which it will glide back to a landing. Landing speed is reported to be estimated to be about 115 knots.
The company is looking beyond this venture. This is the first part of a bolder plan. Apparently, they would like to build a SS3 which could be used for commercial point to point passenger transport. Is this adventure - Yes. Is it visionary - Yes, Yes!
I admire and applaud Virgin's courage. This is no mean feat from many perspectives, and one hopes that it will be very successful. Even if it is not, aviation and mankind will benefit because someone has climbed higher to see further.
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