Xtreme Space Tourism Coming Soon!!
Virgin Galactic’s SS2 And WK2 Unveiled, Will Make Commercial Space Flights In 2011
By Evan Ackerman
We saw renderings of Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShip2 and its mothership, White Knight 2, back in January. This week, the finish craft were both officially unveiled at the future location of the as yet unfinished Spaceport America in New Mexico, and Virgin Galactic says they’ll be heading to space several times a day as early as 2011.
Each spaceflight will last about 2.5 hours round trip. White Knight 2 carries SpaceShip2 up to an altitude of 52,000 feet, at which point SS2 separates and fires its rocket to accelerate at mach 3 to an altitude of about 70 miles. 5 minutes of glorious views and weightlessness ensues, after which the passengers hopefully survive the crushing g-forces (maxing out at 6 gs for 20 seconds) and glide back to a safe landing. The cost of all this? $200,000.
Oh, and here’s a little nugget of awesome for you: the first two spacecraft are reportedly named Enterprise and Voyager.
Virgin Galactic Spaceship 2
Spaceship 2 Assembly
Design
White Knight Two is roughly three times larger than White Knight, in order to perform a captive carry with the larger SpaceShipTwo spacecraft. The WK2 is similar in wingspan to a B-29 Superfortress. Despite that comparison, White Knight Two is a thoroughly modern aircraft - even the flight control cables are constructed of carbon fibre, using a new patented design.
WK2 will provide preview flights offering several seconds of weightlessness, before the actual suborbital event. It is intended to have a service ceiling of about 60,000 ft (18 km), offering a dark blue sky to passengers. This will allow tourists to practice before the real flight.
White Knight Two consists of a twin boom with two jet engines per hull. One hull is an exact replica of that of SpaceShipTwo (to allow tourist training), and the other will carry cut-rate day-trippers into the stratosphere.
The design is quite different from the White Knight, both in size, use of tail, engine configuration and placement of cockpit(s). The White Knight uses two T-tails, but the White Knight Two uses two cruciform tails. Engine configuration is also very different, with engines hung underneath the wings on the White Knight Two as opposed to engines on either side of the sole cockpit on the White Knight.
Timeline of commercial introduction
Virgin Galactic contracted aerospace designer Burt Rutan to build the mothership and spacecraft.
On January 23, 2008 the White Knight Two design was revealed.
On July 28, 2008 the completion and rollout of the first aircraft, Eve, (Tail Number: N348MS)occurred at Scaled's Mojave headquarters. Branson predicted that the maiden space voyage would take place in 18 months: "It represents... the chance for our ever-growing group of future astronauts and other scientists to see our world in a completely new light."
The launch customer of White Knight Two is Virgin Galactic, which will have the first two units, and exclusive rights to the craft for the first few years.
Flight test program
The initial flight tests were planned to begin in early September 2008, but they were delayed.
An extensive flight test program of VMS Eve, with nearly twenty flights between December, 2008, and August, 2009, is now underway to validate the design and expand the aircraft operating envelope. The flight tests are expected to be complete by September, 2009.
Whiteknight 2 Test Flight..
Flight test program
The initial flight tests were planned to begin in early September 2008, but they were delayed.
An extensive flight test program of VMS Eve, with nearly twenty flights between December, 2008, and August, 2009, is now underway to validate the design and expand the aircraft operating envelope. The flight tests are expected to be complete by September, 2009.
White Knight Two Flight Test Summaries
The following list includes summaries of the flight test activity of the White Knight Two (WK2) aircraft. White Knight Two is the mothership/ launch aircraft for SpaceShipTwo (SS2) and potentially other large payloads. It is equipped with many common system components to SS2 (cabin, ECS, speed-brake actuators, avionics, trim servos, air data, test data, video & TM). Thus, the flight test program of WK2 includes many tests that focus on SS2 systems qualification and maturity.[citation needed]
Flight: 05 Date: 20 May 9 Flight Time: Aprox. 3 hours Pilot: Siebold Copilot: Nichols FTE: None Objectives: Aft center of gravity handling qualities evaluation. Initial evaluation of pressurization and environmental control systems (ECS). Results: All objectives completed. Pressurization and ECS worked as designed. Airspeed increased to 188 KTAS. Max altitude 20,000 ft. After landing, conducted an emergency response drill, including both Scaled and Mojave Air and Space Port resources.
Flight: 06 Date: 2 June 9 Flight Time: 3.1 hours Pilot: Siebold Copilot: Nichols FTE: None Objectives: Weight expansion at mid cg. Further pressurization/ECS functionality checks to 35,000 ft. Gear-down speed envelope expansion. Results: All objectives completed. Pressurization and ECS worked as designed. Speed envelope expanded to 250 KTAS with the gear down. Peak altitude increased to 35,000 ft. Starship was onboard for video and safety chase. Two low approaches were followed by a full stop landing.
Flight: 07 Date: 8 June 9 Flight Time: 6.1 hours Pilot: Siebold Copilot: Alsbury FTE: None Objectives: Weight expansion at mid cg. Further pressurization/ECS functionality checks to 45,000 ft. Speed envelope expansion. G envelope expansion. Airborne engine relights Results: All objectives completed. Pressurization and ECS worked as designed. Speed envelope expanded with the gear up and down to 340 KTAS. Peak altitude increased to 45,000 ft. Wind-up turns were performed to 2.5g's. Engines were shut down and restarted per plan.
Flight: 08 Date: 11 June 9 Flight Time: 1 hour Pilot: Siebold Copilot: Nichols FTE: None Objectives: FAA Monitored flight for pilot "Type Rating" Results: Rating Issued
Flight: 09 Date: 15 June 9 Flight Time: 7.5 hours Pilot: Siebold Copilot: Stucky FTE: None Objectives: Weight expansion at mid cg. Further pressurization/ECS functionality checks to 51,000 ft. Speed envelope expansion. Airborne engine relights. Results: All objectives completed. Pressurization and ECS worked as designed. Speed envelope expanded with the gear up to 370 KTAS. Peak altitudes increased to 52,400 ft. Performance, stability and handling evaluation performed at altitude. Engines were shut down and restarted per plan. Practiced instrument approaches.
Aircraft specifications
General characteristics
Payload: 17,000 kg [23] to 50000 ft.; 200 kg satellite to LEO (test)
Length: 24 m (79 ft)
Wingspan: 43 m (141 ft)
Height: ()
Powerplant: 4× Pratt & Whitney Canada PW308 turbofan
Performance
Service ceiling: 21.3 km (70000 ft)
Virgin Galactic SpaceShip VSS Enterprise RollOut
SpaceShipTwo Roll Out
Fighting against the stormy Mojave weather SpaceShipTwo was rolled out to a spectacular display at Mojave Spaceport
On Monday 7th December Virgin Galactic unveiled SpaceShipTwo to the world at Mojave Spaceport, California. 800 press, future astronauts and VIP guests gathered in the desert for a press conference and to view the roll out of the world’s first commercial spaceline.
Sir Richard Branson and Burt Rutan led the press conference, special recognition went to the team at Scaled Composites whose hard work and dedication have made this happen. Governors Bill Richardson and Arnold Schwarzenegger both contributed at the press conference, celebrating this huge milestone and also joining Holly, Richard’s daughter in naming the spaceship, VSS Enterprise.
Despite gale force winds and stormy weather, guests gathered on the runway after the press conference to see SpaceShipTwo for the first time. The spaceship was carried down the runway by her mothership, VMS Eve, to a spectacular display of lights, music and snow which only helped increase the anticipation of her arrival and excitement and awe as she appeared before the crowds.
Spaceship 2 Photo Gallery "Click Here"
Virgin Galactic Website "Click Here"
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