Virgin Galactic Commercial Test Flight

[Palumboism]

Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic reaches space again, this time with first test passenger
By Michael Sheetz - CNBC

Two months after the inaugural spaceflight, Virgin Galactic's spacecraft Unity has done it again.

Virgin Galactic sent three human beings on Unity for the first time in Friday's supersonic test flight, which reached three times the speed of sound on its way up. Just before the flight, Richard Branson's space tourism company told CNBC that astronaut trainer Beth Moses is on the company's spacecraft Unity, along with the two pilots.

Virgin Galactic sent three human beings on Unity for the first time in Friday's supersonic test flight, which reached three times the speed of sound on its way up. Just before the flight, Richard Branson's space tourism company told CNBC that astronaut trainer Beth Moses is on the company's spacecraft Unity, along with the two pilots.

"Beth Moses is on board as a crew member," a Virgin Galactic spokeswoman told CNBC. "She will be doing validation of some of the cabin design elements."

This is the first time Virgin Galactic carried three human beings on its ride to the edge of space. In previous test flights, the two pilots were the only ones inside of the spacecraft.

Virgin Galactic's spacecraft Unity holds up to six passengers along with the two pilots. As the company has more than 600 would-be astronauts signed on to launch, Moses' work is key to preparing Virgin Galactic for commercial operations. Tickets for Virgin Galactic's flights are priced at $250,000 each.

Pilots Dave Mackay and Michael "Sooch" Masucci also became astronauts, as the company said the test flight reached an altitude of 55.9 miles, or nearly 90 kilometers. MacKay, Masucci and Moses join a list of less than 600 human beings who have flown in space.

The U.S. officially consider pilots who have flown above 80 kilometers to be astronauts. Following Virgin Galactic's first successful spaceflight in December, the Department of Transportation awarded pilots Mark Stucky and C.J Sturckow with commercial astronaut wings – only the third and fourth such people recognized as private astronauts.

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/02/22/richard-bransons-virgin-galactic-sends-first-test-passenger-on-spaceflight.html





Anyone interested in becoming an astronaut?

[Palumboism]

One of the first flights.

[Humble Narcissist]

That pic looks totally legit.

[IroNat]

It went 55 miles up (295,000 feet).

The ISS and satellites are 200-300 miles up.

[obsidian]

Earth does not look flat wiggs lied!

[The Scott]

Earth does not look flat wiggs lied!

He would say, "Note how dey don't be shown' U no edges...De Earf be phlatt and das a FACK!  'n'sheit."

[Fortress]

That pic looks totally legit.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

[Palumboism]

It went 55 miles up (295,000 feet).

The ISS and satellites are 200-300 miles up.

If you just want to get into orbit you need to reach speeds of at least 17,600 miles per hour.  Virgin Galactic only reaches a speed of 2,332 miles per hour.

If you want to completely escape Earth's gravity and travel to the moon, you need a speed of at least 25,000 miles per hour.  The space shuttle could not reach escape velocity and could only attain low earth orbit.

[Palumboism]

That pic looks totally legit.

It looks the same in the picture as it did in the video. 

[Humble Narcissist]

It looks the same in the picture as it did in the video. 

I love the CGI pic of Earth as well.

[Griffith]

Earth does not look flat wiggs lied!

The 'curvature' is due to the curved glass of the helmet visors provided by NASA.

(actual explanation given at a flat earth conference)

 

[Mr Anabolic]

All bullshit.  John Q.Public is not going into space anytime soon.  Pure fantasy.

These other morons talking about putting a man on Mars within the next 20 years?... more fantasy BS.  300-500 years, maybe.

[Humble Narcissist]

All bullshit.  John Q.Public is not going into space anytime soon.  Pure fantasy.

These other morons talking about putting a man on Mars within the next 20 years?... more fantasy BS.  300-500 years, maybe.

We can't even go to the Moon now but we'll be on Mars in 10 or 20 years.  Not only that but we'll build cities and live there.

Space age technology is the only technology that seems to go backwards.

[Palumboism]

We can't even go to the Moon now but we'll be on Mars in 10 or 20 years.  Not only that but we'll build cities and live there.

Space age technology is the only technology that seems to go backwards.

We haven't been able to leave low earth orbit for the last 40 years.  For me, low earth orbit isn't really space.  That's like saying you're going on a Safari when you're just camping in your backyard.

The space shuttle was fine for it's mission, which is simply to shuttled payloads to low earth orbit. 

It's going to be funny to see people disappointed when we go back to the moon, but that's NASA's next mission. 

I'm confident will be able to land on the moon. 

[Humble Narcissist]

We haven't been able to leave low earth orbit for the last 40 years.  For me, low earth orbit isn't really space.  That's like saying you're going on a Safari when you're just camping in your backyard.

The space shuttle was fine for it's mission, which is simply to shuttled payloads to low earth orbit. 

It's going to be funny to see people disappointed when we go back to the moon, but that's NASA's next mission. 

I'm confident will be able to land on the moon. 

We did it with '60's technology but it's going to take years to do it again.

[Palumboism]

The engineering and development work of the second-generation engine was done in-house, by Virgin Galactic.  It uses a hybrid rocket engine with a solid propellant and a liquid oxidizer to produce 60,000 pounds of thrust.

[Megalodon]

Meanwhile, Amazon Prime is still troubleshooting 45,000 feet.