Scaled Composites SpaceShipTwo

infobox Aircraft
name = SpaceShipTwo
type = spaceplane
manufacturer = Scaled Composites



caption = Artist's concept of SpaceShipTwo at apogee
status = In production (65% complete as of May 2008)
developed from = SpaceShipOne

Scaled Composites' Model 339 SpaceShipTwo (SS2) is a suborbital spaceplane for carrying future space tourists that is currently under development by The Spaceship Company, a joint venture between Scaled Composites and Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group, as part of the Tier 1b program. The Virgin Galactic spaceline plans to operate a fleet of five of these craft in passenger-carrying private spaceflight service starting in late 2009, or early 2010. [cite web |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/23/science/space/23cnd-spaceship.html?hp |title=New Tourist Spacecraft Unveiled |accessdate=2008-01-23 |author=John Schwartz|publisher=nytimes.com ]

Design and development

.

SpaceShipTwo is designed to carry passengers to space; the maximum capacity will be eight people: six paying passengers and two pilots. The apogee of the new craft will be approximately 110 km (68 miles) and in the thermosphere, 10 km (6 miles) higher than SpaceShipOne target, even though the last flight of the SpaceShipOne was at 112 km. SpaceShipTwo will reach a speed of roughly 4,200 km/h (2,600 mph), using a single hybrid rocket motor, as can be seen on the technical diagram on the right. It will launch in midair at 15,200m (50,000ft) from its mother ship, WhiteKnightTwo. SpaceShipTwo's crew cabin will be 3.66m (12 ft) long and 2.28m (7.5 ft) in diameter.cite web |url=http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2008/01/23/221031/pictures-virgin-galactic-unveils-dyna-soar-style-spaceshiptwo-design-and-twin-fuselage-white-knight.html|title=PICTURES: Virgin Galactic unveils Dyna-Soar style SpaceShipTwo design and twin-fuselage White Knight II configuration |accessdate=2008-01-23 |author=Rob Coppinger|publisher=flightglobal.com ] The wing span is 8.23 m (27 ft), the length is 18.29 m (60 ft) and the tail height is 4.57 m (15 ft). cite web
url=http://www.virgingalactic.com/pressftp/index_full.php
title=Spaceship Unveil Presspack
accessdate=2008-02-10
author=Virgin Galactic
publisher=virgingalactic.com ]

SpaceShipTwo uses a feathered reentry system, feasible due to the low speed of re-entryndash by contrast, space shuttles and other orbital spacecraft re-enter at orbital speeds, closer to 25,000 km/h (16,000 mph), requiring the use of heat shields. It is designed to reenter the atmosphere at any angle. "This vehicle is designed to go into the atmosphere in the worst case straight in or upside down and it'll correct", says Burt Rutan. As for safety, he states "This is designed to be at least as safe as the early airliners in the 1920s. (...) Don't believe anyone that tells you that the safety will be the same as a modern airliner, which has been around for 70 years." cite web
url=http://blogs.zdnet.com/BTL/?p=7678
title=Virgin Galactic unveils SpaceShipTwo; Plans open architecture spaceship
accessdate=2008-02-10
author=Dan Farber & Larry Dignan
publisher=zdnet.com ]

Both SpaceShipTwo and its new carrier aircraft, White Knight Two, will be roughly two times the size of the first generation spacecraft SpaceShipOne and mothership White Knight that won the Ansari X Prize. SpaceShipTwo will have 43 cm and 33 cm (17 and 13 in) diameter windows for the passengers' viewing pleasure, and all seats will recline back during landing to help decrease the discomfort of G-forces.cite web |url=http://www.space.com/news/060828_spaceshiptwo_next.html |title=Virgin Galactic Unveils SpaceShipTwo Interior Concept |accessdate=2007-04-06 |date=28 September 2006 |author=Tariq Malik |publisher=Space News ] Reportedly, the craft can land safely even if "catastrophic damage" occurs during the flight.cite web |url=http://www.space.com/spacenews/businessmonday_060403.html |title=Virgin Galactic Customers Parting with Their Cash |accessdate=2007-04-06 |date= |author=Peter de Selding |publisher=Space News ]

Explosion

On 26 July 2007 a fatal explosion occurred at the Mojave airport during a fuel flow test which included filling the oxidizer tank with 4,500 kg (10,000 pounds) of nitrous oxide followed by a 15 second cold flow injector test. [citeweb|title=Report details deadly blast at Mojave spaceship builder test site|url=http://www.bakersfield.com/119/story/357074.html|publisher=The Bakersfield Californian|accessdate=2008-02-11] The explosion occurred around 14:30 (2:30 PM). Though the tests themselves did not involve igniting the gas, three employees were killed and three injured, two "critically" and one "seriously", from shrapnel wounds. [Abdollah, Tami and Silverstein, Stuart. Los Angeles Times. 27 July 2007. " [http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-explode27jul27,0,7400022,full.story?coll=la-home-local 3 killed, 3 injured in explosion at rocket test site in Mojave] ". Retrieved on 27 July 2007.]

Commercial introduction

In August 2005, the president of space tourism company Virgin Galactic stated that if the upcoming suborbital service with SpaceShipTwo is successful, the follow-up SpaceShipThree will be an orbital craft.cite web |url=http://www.flightglobal.com/Articles/2005/08/23/Navigation/200/201097/SpaceShipThree+poised+to+follow+if+SS2+succeeds.html |title=SpaceShipThree poised to follow if SS2 succeeds |accessdate=2007-04-06 |date=23 August 2005 |publisher=Flight International ]

On 28 September 2006, Sir Richard Branson unveiled a mock-up of the SpaceShipTwo at the NextFest exposition, held in the Javits Convention Center in New York. [cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/5394130.stm |title=Buckled up for white knuckle ride |accessdate=2007-04-06 |date=30 September 2006 |author=Sophie Morrison |publisher=BBC News ]

Training began on 3 December 2007. [Virgin Galactic [http://www.virgingalactic.com/htmlsite/news.php SIR RICHARD TRAINS FOR SPACEFLIGHT] ]

The design of the vehicle was revealed to the press in January 2008, with the statement that the vehicle itself was around 60% complete.The launch customer of SpaceShipTwo is Virgin Galactic, which will have the first five units, and exclusive rights the craft for the first few years.

Following a series of 50–100 test flights, the first paying customers are expected to fly aboard the craft in late 2009.cite web |url=http://science.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=157540&threshold=1&commentsort=5&tid=160&mode=nested&cid=13205378 |title=Notes on Rutan presentations at EAA Oshkosh |accessdate=2007-04-06 |date=July 30 2006 |author=jnhtx (87543) |publisher=Slashdot ]

According to Virgin Galactic, the construction of the flight hardware should be completed in 2008 and it is expected to take off in late 2009 or 2010.cite web |url=http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5h0j35yoIUhlv0N3OE2RP-vDcphdw |title=Virgin's Branson presents new space ship |accessdate=2008-01-26 |date=2008-01-25 |author=afp ] cite web |url=http://travel.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/travel/news/article3250493.ece |title=Space travel set to take off |accessdate=2008-01-26 |date=2008-01-25 |author=afp ]

pacecraft

Seven vehicles have been ordered by Virgin Galactic. [cite web |url=http://www.space.com/news/080123-virgingalactic-ss2-design.html |title=Virgin Galactic Unveils Suborbital Spaceliner Design |accessdate=2008-01-25 |date=2008-01-23 |publisher="SPACE.com" |first=Tariq |last=Malik] As of October 2007, only the first two have been named, the VSS (Virgin Space Ship) "Enterprise", [cite web |url=http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/virgin_space_040927.html |title=Virgin Galactic to Offer Public Space Flights |accessdate=2007-12-20 |publisher=SPACE.com |date=27 September 2004] and the VSS "Voyager". Both are in development. [cite web |url=http://economist.com/science/displaystory.cfm?story_id=E1_PVDDNPS&CFID=652299&CFTOKEN=40feddda82a83b6-F677FAB6-B27C-BB00-0143FB2BB9733AFB |title=One small step for space tourism... Private spaceflight |accessdate=2007-12-20 |publisher="The Economist" |date=18 December 2004]

A proposed name for a third space ship, "Columbia," is planned, and other proposed space ship names such as "Challenger", "Atlantis" and "Discovery" are also in consideration; all of which are former/current names of the soon-to-be retired Space Shuttles.

#VSS "Enterprise"cite web |url=http://cache.gizmodo.com/assets/resources/2006/09/Comparison_SS1-SS2.jpg|title=Scale comparison chart of Spaceshipone and Spaceshiptwo |accessdate=2007-04-06 |publisher=Gizmodo ] (2008)
#VSS "Voyager"cite web |url=http://www.moneyweek.com/file/2333/space-tourism.html |title=Will space tourism ever take off? |accessdate=2007-12-20 |publisher="MoneyWeek" |first=Simon |last=Wilson |date=2008-01-21] (2009)
#VSS "Columbia" (2009/2010)
#Not Named - unofficial "Discovery" (2010)
#Not Named (2011)

Flight

More than 65,000 would-be space tourists have applied for the first batch of 100 tickets to be available. The price will initially be $200,000. [cite web |url=http://www.zeenews.com/znnew/articles.asp?aid=339112&sid=ENV&ssid=27 |title=Rich Chinese buying tickets to space |accessdate=2007-04-06 |publisher=Zee News ] However, after the first 100 tickets are sold the deposit would be dropped to around $100,000. Then deposits after the first year will drop to around $20,000. The deposit for the near future is expected to remain at $20,000 per person per flight. The duration of the flight will be approximately 2.5 hours, and weekly launches are planned.

In December 2007 Virgin Galactic had 200 paid-up applicants on its books for the early flights, and 95% were passing the necessary 6-8 g centrifuge tests. [Anon. "Virgin Galactic's timetable for progress". Spaceflight (Volume 50, February 2008, page 48), British Interplanetary Society.]

Launch site

The SpaceShipTwo craft will take off from the Mojave Spaceport in California during testing. Spaceport America (formerly Southwest Regional Spaceport), a $200 million spaceport in New Mexico partly funded by the state government, will become the permanent launch site when commercial launches begin.

The company has also shown interest in building spaceports in other parts of the world, including Sweden, Saudi Arabia, and Scotland. [cite web |url=http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6382533.stm |title=MPs urged to back space tourism |accessdate=2007-04-06 |date=21 February 2007 |publisher=BBC News ] However, the likelihood of these other launching points depends on the success of the initial spaceport in New Mexico.Fact|date=August 2008

References

External links

* [http://www.scaled.com Official site] ndash Scaled Composites
* [http://www.space.com/news/050727_branson_rutan.html Formation of The Spaceship Company] ndash space.com
* [http://www.spacedaily.com/news/tourism-04g.html The Birth of SpaceShipTwo] ndash SpaceDaily
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4119491.stm Virgin soars towards new frontier] ndash BBC News
* [http://www.cosmosmagazine.com/node/97 Space or Bust: Feature article on space tourism] ndash Cosmos Magazine
* [http://www.virgingalactic.com/htmlsite/index.php What is Virgin Galactic?] ndash Virgin Galactic
* [http://spacelawprobe.blogspot.com/2006/03/space-law-in-paris.html Space Law in Paris] ndash Space Law Probe
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4828404.stm Human spaceflight goes commercial] ndash BBC News
* [http://openvision.tv/blog/?p=79 Videoblog of Wired NEXTFEST] ndash People With Ideas
* [http://news.com.com/2300-1_3-6122960-1.html?tag=ne.gall.pg CNET Images of SS2 mockups] ndash CNET News
* [http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2007/02/27/212308/nasa-plans-to-hitch-a-lift-on-spaceshiptwo.html NASA plans to hitch a lift on SpaceShipTwo] ndash Flight International

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