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Author Topic: Virgin Galactic In Flight Engine Test  (Read 528 times)

orange

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Virgin Galactic In Flight Engine Test
« on: 29 Apr 2013, 21:21 »
Early (Mojave, CA, US Pacific Time GMT+8) on 29 April 2013, Virgin Galactic's first Spaceship Two, Eve (named for Richard Branson's mother), had its first powered flight and broke the sound barrier!

Some images from various sites.







And this youtube video shows the entire flight powered portion of the flight.

I think they may get up into space (100 km) in the next few months and definitely by the end of the year.
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Aria Jenneth

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Re: Virgin Galactic In Flight Engine Test
« Reply #1 on: 29 Apr 2013, 23:17 »
Well, well. It's looking like the next few decades of space exploration are going to be corporate.

Yay further signs of an incipient cyberpunk reality?
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Silver Night

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Re: Virgin Galactic In Flight Engine Test
« Reply #2 on: 29 Apr 2013, 23:51 »
This is cool, but they don't get very high. It's those asteroid miners and their robots, and people like SpaceX you want to keep an eye on.  :D
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Vikarion

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Re: Virgin Galactic In Flight Engine Test
« Reply #3 on: 30 Apr 2013, 03:28 »
Quote from: Aria Jenneth on 29 Apr 2013, 23:17
Well, well. It's looking like the next few decades of space exploration are going to be corporate.

Yay further signs of an incipient cyberpunk reality?

Considering the rather pathetic showing the governments of our various nations have put on so far (space stations and mars rover? Sure, awesome, but that's it?!?) over the last fifty years or so, I'm inclined to take progress where I can get it. We were supposed to have colonies on Mars by now...and we could have had them, too, if we had really tried. Instead we got...other stuff.

So if we end up with MacroRoid Mining Supplies farming the belts and Halliburton constructing habitats on Mars, while Comcast installs transmissions relays on the moon and Phobos, I won't complain. If we're lucky, private companies getting into space will spur the governments of our various nations to also head out there. If we aren't, well, maybe we end up with the RL version of the Caldari State or something. But that will still be better than all of humanity's eggs being in the earth basket.

I don't really hold to much, but I'd like the human experiment to go on, with all its violence, hatreds, and competition. However we make it to the stars, simply being there will prove our right to them.
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Aelisha Montenagre

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Re: Virgin Galactic In Flight Engine Test
« Reply #4 on: 30 Apr 2013, 03:34 »
Quote from: Silver Night on 29 Apr 2013, 23:51
This is cool, but they don't get very high. It's those asteroid miners and their robots, and people like SpaceX you want to keep an eye on.  :D

Confirming fully autonomous civil engineering and industrial mining is the future!
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