Update: Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo Makes First Glide Flight

[1776Forever]

Update: Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo Makes First Glide Flight
By Jason Paur October 10, 2010

Read More http://www.wired.com/autopia/2010/10/virgin-galactic-spaceshiptwo-makes-first-glide-flight/#ixzz126spct5j




Seven months after making its first captive flight attached to its mother ship White Knight Two, Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo (aka VSS Enterprise) completed its first solo glide flight today touching down on runway 30 at the Mojave Air and Space Port in California. The early morning flight took place after several months of simulated practice flights in the mother ship, also known as Eve, which has an identical cockpit as the space craft.

The glide flight is a critical first step for the team at Scaled Composites which is building the space ship for Virgin Galactic. Though there has been no word from the company, it is expected the flight test development of the VSS Enterprise will be similar to that of SpaceShipOne.

(More at link)

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

1. Just imagine all the new fees!

reentry fee, interstellar bag fee, sound barrier fee, orbital fee (double for geosynchronous flight paths), ...

I just hope we get astronaut diapers - no more closet-cramped stinky aitline toilets! (Which reminds me: diaper disposal fees).

[MrTriumph]

2. The witless want to be weightless.

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