At a press conference on Wednesday, a space tourism outfit known as Virgin Galactic
showed off models of its privately developed spacecraft that will take paying customers on zero-G, suborbital flights in the next few years. The Associated Press reports that Richard Branson, a British Howard Hughes minus the neuroses, plans on flying customers approximately 62 miles above sea level – just to the lower reaches of space – for a 4.5 minute weightless experience. The craft, dubbed SpaceShip Two, appears to be a cross between a futuristic plane and a space shuttle. White Knight Two, a giant twin-fuselage, four-engine airplane, will carry SpaceShip Two to a high elevation before detaching, leaving the spacecraft to journey alone to its suborbital destination.
In remarks at the press conference, aerospace engineer Burt Rutan, the CEO of the craft's manufacturer, Scaled Composites, stated that SpaceShip Two is about 60% complete, while Virgin Galactic reps indicated that White Knight Two is 70% finished. The next step, the pair said, is to begin test flights that will ensure safety. Such precautions will be closely monitored, as three people died last July in an explosion that occurred while testing SpaceShip Two's propellant system.
Around 200 people have already made reservations to be the first so-called "space tourists." The rich and enthralled have shelled out $200,000 or so to claim their spot on SpaceShip Two, which is constructed out of ultra-light materials. While predecessor SpaceShip One only sat one passenger, the next generation spacecraft will seat many more in a space the AP has likened to the size of a private jet's cabin. Inside, customers will be seated in a virtually supine position to ameliorate the stressful effects the travel will have on their bodies. Once in weightless territory, they will be free to float around the largish, floorless cabin for a few minutes of inner-child satisfaction.
We think the idea of zero-G jaunts for the family is pretty remarkable. Maybe we've read too many futuristic sci-fi novels, but we see this as the first hint of regular, privatized space travel for the average Joe. Well, considering the cost, maybe not the average Joe quite yet.
Either way, this story is really about the human propensity to stand in awe of the stars while doing everything possible to reach them.
From
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